[PHOTO CREDIT: Provided]
[Original Publish Date: 01/07/21]
EUSTIS, Florida — A suspect wanted in a Halloween shooting rammed two unmarked Eustis Police Department detectives at a local car dealership, fled the scene, was bitten by a K-9 and tased Thursday afternoon, according to Eustis Police Officer J. Allred.
EPD received information that the suspect was going to be at Prestige Ford, 17701 U.S. Highway 441, Mount Dora. Two EPD detectives in unmarked vehicles went to the dealership to take him into custody. He rammed both detectives’ vehicles and fled the scene, Allred told Lake Legal News. Though the detectives were in unmarked units, the suspect did recognize them and knew they were police officers, Allred said.
A Lake County Sheriff’s deputy was in the area and began pursuing the suspect; no EPD officers were involved in the pursuit, Allred told LLN. The man went to the area of State Road 44 and the Eustis Bypass and he bailed on foot near a neighborhood, The Oaks at Summer Glen. As many as five vehicles were damaged around the time of the incident, but officers are still investigating whether all the damaged vehicles are related.
An LCSO K-9 chased after the man and, “The K-9 bit him,” Allred said. He continued to struggle with law enforcement and was tased before being taken into custody. Allred said the man had four felony warrants, but the charges were unavailable at press time Thursday.
Shortly before 1.p.m. Halloween, EPD responded to the area of Cherry Blossom Court after a witness reported a shooting. The victim — who had already fled the scene — told police he was traveling down Country Club Road approaching the stop sign at Washington Avenue when the passenger car behind him went around him and cut him off, EPD Cpl Lauren Brown told LLN in October. The victim honked at the car and a subject got out; the victim put the car in reverse and struck the vehicle behind him; a man got out of that vehicle and there was an altercation between him and the second subject. The victim fled in his red vehicle and multiple vehicles chased him, possibly as many as four, a witness told LLN. The suspects chased the victim and he turned down Cherry Blossom Court attempting to evade them.
The witness said the victim made a U-turn — Cherry Blossom Court is a dead-end — around a tree with a silver car, a black car, a white car and a blue car chasing behind him. All the vehicles made U-turns in neighboring yards and chased the victim back to the entrance. The victim was fired at five times, the witness said. Multiple shots struck the vehicle and the victim got away unharmed.
This is a developing story.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
