By Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
A Florida driver is being called courageous for refusing to cooperate with a “very dangerous” armed man on the run from deputies and police in two counties, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver survived the ordeal, officials said. But the suspect is in critical condition after being shot multiple times by law enforcement, officials said in a July 28 news release.
Identities of the driver and suspect have not been released.
Investigators say the chase began around 6:38 p.m. on Thursday, July 27, when someone reported a car equipped with GPS had been stolen from the AdventHealth Tampa hospital. The car was tracked to neighboring Pasco County to the north, officials said.
“The suspect eventually abandoned the vehicle at Publix in Dade City on US-301. He fled to a nearby neighborhood and hid in a shed before carjacking an innocent victim and forcing the victim to drive in a final attempt to escape,” the sheriff’s office said.
The driver cooperated at first, but then took a chance by stopping the car after seeing deputies along the road, officials said.
“The suspect, armed with a firearm, got out of the vehicle, and pointed the firearm at the ... victim in the driver’s seat. The victim courageously at the time sped away in the vehicle,” officials said.
That left the suspect on foot near a parking lot where he was confronted by police and deputies.
Shots were fired when the man pointed his gun at a Dade City police officer, officials said.
The suspect is in critical but stable condition and investigators say they have not been able to identify him.
Four Hillsborough County deputies are on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, which is standard procedure, officials said.
Investigators say the carjacking victim had just stepped outside their home when the armed man approached and demanded a ride.
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