Location around where law enforcement confronted kidnapping suspect in Brevard County, Florida.
A man kidnapped two women, but he died in an ensuing shootout with law enforcement, according to authorities from multiple jurisdictions in central Florida. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers, and Sebastian Police Department Chief Daniel Acosta did not identify anyone directly involved in the incident that happened overnight.
The alleged kidnapping first landed on law enforcement radar in Osceola County, then progressed into Indian River, officials said. The kidnapper, holding two women hostage at gunpoint, fired multiple rounds at Indian River deputies, Ivey said. He drove into southern Brevard County on I-95, then progressed to US 1, the sheriff said.
The suspect shot one of the women, said Flowers. This shooting happened back in Osceola County, Brevard deputies said in a press statement.
The incident reached a conclusion after the suspect crashed the car, authorities said.
“And then as he threw one of the victims out of the car, his car came to a crash and got stuck,” Ivey said. “He put one of the victims out of the car, took the other victim, went into a heavily wooded area, and in that wooded area the contact teams made up of Sebastian PD, Indian River County, and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office members were able to pursue him in.”
The man died after starting a shootout, officials said.
“As things progressed, the suspect continued to fire at our law enforcement officers, and our team was able to eliminate the threat,” Ivey said. “Multiple officers fired.”
He praised the law enforcement officers involved as heroes.
Authorities said they rescued both of the hostages. Ivey described the women as being safe and treated for injuries at nearby hospitals.
“Bad guy’s dead, and good guys are going home safe,” Flowers said.
The investigation is ongoing, Ivey said.
“As is customary in officer involved shootings, the Brevard County Deputies have been placed on paid Administrative Leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in their statement.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a Law&Crime request for more information, including the man’s name, and the current condition of the woman who was shot.
[Screenshot via WOFL]