Arrest report details shootout on I-75 between officers and suspect
An arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol filed with Lee County Court details how officers took a man sought in a St. Petersburg homicide into custody following a wild shootout after a standoff on I-75 that shut the highway down for hours outside of Fort Myers last Wednesday.
The shootout was documented by video across social media, while the Florida Highway Patrol attempted to arrest 43-year-old Ladavion King, who was the sole suspect in the St. Petersburg homicide.
King had evaded arrest while being chased by the Florida Highway Patrol on I-76 until a precision immobilization technique by the Florida Highway Patrol crashed his car off the highway.
King, who is facing a second-degree murder charge for the St. Petersburg incident, was listed as in serious condition at an area hospital as of Friday, in the last update provided by the Florida Highway Patrol.
According to the arrest report, King’s truck crashed into a concrete barrier wall after the immobilization technique conducted by one of the officers in pursuit. Four Florida Highway Patrol officers then surrounded King’s truck. Officers gave orders for King to exit the vehicle.
About three minutes after the confrontation began, officers reported hearing a “pop” from the vehicle and they announced that shots had been fired while the passenger door had been opened.
Officers responded by shooting AR-15 rifles and a shotgun towards the suspect, with numerous bullets striking the windshield of the truck.
The suspect was eventually taken into custody, though the Florida Highway Patrol has not disclosed whether King was struck by one of the bullets. His condition has only been stated to be “serious.”
Numerous social media posts showed video of police officers repeatedly shooting at a truck on I-75 during a showdown with a suspect.
A highly-edited Facebook post by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office showing part of the arrest, showed a truck that had been immobilized, with the front windshield and back windshield of the truck sprayed with numerous bullet holes as officers called on the suspect to crawl out of his truck. A K-9 was also dispatched toward the scene.
The Florida Highway Patrol has not publicly disclosed if King was shot during the incident. The suspect was taken to Gulf Coast Medical Center. The Facebook post of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said thart all questions would be handled by the Florida Highway patrol, who they said are leading the investigation.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the takedown operation began at approximately 12:30 p.m. after Florida Highway Patrol received a Be On The Lookout alert from the Florida Highway Patrol Regional Communications Center regarding a suspect believed to be suicidal and involved in a homicide.
Troopers located the suspect in Lee County and attempted a traffic stop, but the suspect fled.
A Precision Immobilization Technique, or PIT, maneuver was successfully executed near southbound Exit 128 at Alico Road on I-75 near Fort Myers.
“Despite this, the suspect refused to comply with lawful commands and barricaded himself inside his vehicle,” Florida Highway Patrol said in a statement.
State Troopers, along with Lee County Sheriff’s deputies who were also on scene, established contact with the suspect who was ultimately taken into custody.
“The suspect has been transported to the hospital with serious injuries. No law enforcement was injured on scene. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is on scene and will further investigate the Use of Control,” Florid Highway Patrol said in a statement.
According to a statement from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, members of the Special Operations Unit, Crisis Negotiation Team, Advanced Technology Support Unit, K9 and Patrol deputies responded to assist Florida Highway Patrol during a barricaded suspect incident on Interstate 75 near mile marker 126. It was learned that the suspect involved was earlier involved in a homicide in St. Petersburg and fled from an attempted traffic stop from Florida Highway Patrol.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies assisted the Florida Highway Patrol in the response. “After refusing to comply with lawful commands, Special Operations Unit and K9 members were successful in establishing contact with the suspect and taking him into custody,” the statement said.
Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Greg Bueno said that the “Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the use of control.”
Traffic on I-75 was backed up for hours following the incident. All lanes of the highway were not reopened until approximately 10 hours after the incident began unfolding.
“State Troopers and law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect the people of this great state,” said FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner. “As this is an active criminal investigation, we will have no further comment, except to say how thankful I am for the heroism State Troopers display each and every day, including this very challenging and dangerous incident today. The entire Florida Highway Patrol is deeply thankful for the heroism and support Lee County Deputies provided in responding, as well.”
As of Friday, the Florida Highway Patrol Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Division (BCII) said they were continuing to conduct an active investigation into the traffic stop incident that occurred on southbound Interstate 75 at Exit 128, in Lee County.
So far, the Florida Highway Patrol has announced that King is facing charges of attempted second degree murder with a firearm, four counts of first-degree discharging a firearm in public, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, second-degree fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer.