ORLANDO, Fla. – A man who was driving a stolen car was fatally shot during an interaction with officers near an apartment he’s accused of burglarizing earlier in the day, according to Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon.
The shooting happened Tuesday afternoon at the Summerfield Apartments complex on Kirkman Road.
Officials said an undercover officer in an unmarked vehicle spotted the stolen vehicle and followed it as it pulled into the apartment complex, which is when more officers arrived on scene.
Rolon said the armed suspect, who has not been identified, ran away as two officers and a trainee chased him.
This is the gun recovered from the officer involved shooting on Kirkman rd. pic.twitter.com/uAR1EocQ8V
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) February 18, 2020
“At some point there was an interaction between the individual and the officers and the officers fired their weapons,” Rolon said.
The armed suspect was taken to an area hospital, where he died. The suspect did not shoot at the officers.
Hours before the shooting, at about 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, a residential burglary was reported at Summerfield Apartments in the same area where the stolen car was parked, according to authorities. Rolon said they believe the man killed in the shooting was the culprit in that crime.
Officials said an investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will reveal how many shots were fired. Officials said the two officers fired their weapons but the trainee did not.
The officers who were involved in the shooting have been relieved of duty with pay while the FDLE investigates, which is standard procedure. The trainee will be placed on administrative leave for a few days as well.
Rolon said the officers had to make a split-second decision because they feared their lives were in danger.
“This is a situation that could have been avoided if the individual would not have resisted by running and actually being in possession of a weapon and not letting go of that weapon,” Rolon said. “These are avoidable situations that unfortunately are dictated by the actions of the individual and the officers have an obligation to protect the public and protect themselves.”