By Adrian Uribarri and Stephen Hudak
The Orlando Sentinel
MOUNT DORA, Fla. — A drug suspect was shot and wounded Monday by a K-9 police officer who was returning gunfire during a foot chase that took place after an undercover drug buy, police said.
Kevin Lamont Armstrong, 19, was flown to Orlando Regional Medical Center. His injury was not thought to be life-threatening, said Mount Dora Police Chief Randy Scoggins.
“It’s a shame. ... This did not have to happen,” he said. “If he’ll shoot at uniformed police officers, who else will he shoot at?”
Deputy Chief Ron Rauth said the suspect was attempting to scale a fence “when he turned and shot” at Officer Steve Kelly and his German shepherd Lando, who were in pursuit trying to arrest Armstrong. Armstrong fired several rounds from a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver and Kelly fired back with his Glock Model 21, Scoggins said.
Scoggins said he was not sure how many times Armstrong was hit.
Police were attempting to arrest Armstrong, who was wanted on cocaine-trafficking charges as well as for the drug buy earlier Monday. The shooting took place behind a house in the 1600 block of Orange Street that is surrounded by a 5-foot-tall fence. The incident occurred between 4 and 5 p.m., Scoggins said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was called in to conduct an independent investigation of the shooting, Scoggins said. Kelly, who had scrapes to his knees and elbows but was not hit by any bullets, was placed on leave per department policy.
Rauth said Kelly, 23, has been on the force for a little more than two years and has a “very good reputation.”
Lake County Sheriff Gary Borders sent deputies and a helicopter to the area to assist with crowd control, sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. John Herrell said.
Fernando Williams, 47, who said he is Armstrong’s stepfather, questioned police strategy.
“They knew he had warrants,” Williams said. “Why didn’t they arrest him [earlier]?” He said his stepson has been in trouble since he was a young boy and police often visited him looking for his stepson.
Scoggins said police initiated an undercover buy in response to complaints from residents about drug dealing.
People are “absolutely fed up” with drug activity in the neighborhood, Scoggins said.
Copyright 2008 The Orlando Sentinel