By PHIL DAVIS
Associated Press Writer
LAKELAND, Florida--A man shot two Polk County sheriff’s deputies and twice eluded capture after a traffic stop Thursday, prompting a massive manhunt with dozens of patrol cars and helicopters, officials said.
The deputies were taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center following the shooting just before noon in north Lakeland, Sheriff Grady Judd said. One of the officers, Deputy Matthew Williams, has died.
He would not release their names or discuss their conditions pending notification of relatives. A hospital spokeswoman referred questions to the sheriff’s office.
The suspect was first approached in a traffic stop, but he then fled into a wooded area when an officer began asking him about his identity, Judd said. The officer and a backup deputy who arrived seconds later chased the suspect into the woods.
Shots were fired, and the two deputies and a police dog were hit, he said.
The suspect exchanged gunfire with more officers shortly afterward when they approached a house in the wooded area, but he escaped again, Judd said.
Authorities cordoned off a large area around the gunman’s car, but had not ordered any residential evacuations. Helicopters circled in wide arcs as emergency vehicles raced up and down local roads.
Television video footage showed officers searching a wooded area with traffic backed up on nearby Interstate 4, which runs near the city which is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Tampa.
The shooting occurred near Kathleen High School, which was locked down, officials said. Two others schools farther away from the scene also were locked down.
A woman at Kathleen High School, who would identify herself only as Mrs. Platt, said students were locked in their classrooms and were safe. She referred other questions to the sheriff’s office.
The students will remain on campus until officials approve their release, school district spokeswoman Leah Lauderdale said.
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