Roommates argument leads to fatal stabbing in Ruskin; suspect sought
Comments Off on Roommates argument leads to fatal stabbing in Ruskin; suspect soughtAn argument turned deadly Monday afternoon in the Ruskin area. Altercation between Ruskin men
An argument turned deadly Monday afternoon in the Ruskin area. Altercation between Ruskin men
UPDATE – 6:40 p.m. Gulf Highlands Elementary has lifted the lockdown on the campus, and said parents
Tampa police are trying identify a second suspect in an Ybor City homicide. Second suspect so
There has been an officer-involved shooting in Palmetto. Officer involved shooting in Palmett
One of two Kissimmee Police officers shot has died and another is in grave condition, while two othe
Police in Plant City on Friday released the names of two officers involved in the fatal shooting of
Plant City police were involved in an officer-involved shooting Thursday morning. Plant City
A Bradenton man posted on Facebook earlier this year he was "never gonna go back" behind b
Pasco County detectives are searching for a man they believe murdered someone after a verbal argumen
A suspect in Polk County tried to take on a K9 deputy Friday and it didn’t go as well as he planned.
Las Vegas police say the gunman in a fatal shooting on the Strip who barricaded himself inside a pub
Tampa police are searching for a suspect after shots were fired early Wednesday during a traffic sto
Authorities said the man who engaged in a standoff with Polk County deputies died of a single gunsho
Deputies in Manatee County have arrested one suspect in connection to a fatal shooting in Lakewood R
A convenience store robbery was interrupted Thursday morning in Wesley Chapel when a legally armed c
A mother of two was shot after an argument at a Haines City Walmart Thursday morning. Mandy G
Deputies at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office went from chasing a suspect to performing life saving
The man shot by a Polk County drug task force Wednesday evening in Lakeland has died.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said 32-year-old Francis Perry died from wounds sustained after he started shooting at members of the task force. Perry was shot five, possibly, six times by law enforcement on scene during the encounter.
No officers were injured.
Perry died Thursday morning, around 6:30 a.m. at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, Judd said during a news conference.
The shootout happened in front of a trailer, in the 2700 block of Gulfview Street in Lakeland around 5 p.m. Wednesday. With the detectives surrounding Perry’s car and its tinted windows, Judd called the shootout “incredibly dangerous” and said the detectives were “in a gunfight for their lives and they won.”
Johnny Harrell lives nearby and heard it all.
“I thought it was firecrackers going off because it was bam bam, bam, bam, bam,” recalled Harrell. “I was thinking ‘how in the world is it happening here?’ because you always see it on TV and it’s happening somewhere else.”
Judd said detectives with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force spotted Perry driving down Combee Road and followed him to the trailer on Gulfview, knowing there was a warrant out for his arrest.
After Perry was shot, Judd said the detectives pulled Perry out of the car and performed CPR.
Judd said the task force members responded appropriately.
"We respect life," Judd said. "We expect the community to respect us back and they overwhelming do. But when they shoot at us, we will absolutely shoot back.
"That’s a guarantee."
Sheriff Judd holds a list that shows the suspect’s criminal history. (Stephanie Claytor, Staff)
During the news conference, Judd described Perry’s lengthy criminal past that dates back to when he was 11 years old. He believes Perry was committing "suicide by cop" when he entered into the gun battle.
“He knew with him there with one gun and at least four of them there that it was certain death,” said Judd. “He chose this. He chose every bit of it. He was in total control and all he had to do was comply and nothing like this would’ve happened.”
Judd also said Perry was armed with a stolen gun out of Pasco County, and $ 4,500 worth of meth in the backseat of his car. He was released from prison in March, Judd said.
“Francis Perry is a documented, pedigreed thug,” said Sheriff Judd.
However, Perry’s girlfriend Nikki Elliott recalled him differently. She told us over the phone that Perry wasn’t the monster that Sheriff Judd portrayed him to be, and she said he helped out a lot of people. She said the two of them lived together and had a lost a son last year.
Winter Haven Police Chief Charlie Bird, who had officers on the task force, said law enforcement was fortunate.
"I want to put a human face on this," Bird said. "These officers have families to go home to. And tonight, they were faced with a very dangerous situation and had to make a decision to defend themselves…and like the sheriff said, we’re not going to apologize when someone pulls a gun on us and fires on us."
Perry had a long criminal history, including drug possession and distribution charges, weapon charges, and robbery charges. He’d also previously admitted to two different law enforcement agencies that he was a member of a White Supremacist movement.
Per standard procedure, the officers involved in the shooting will be placed on paid administrative leave, according to Polk County Sheriff’s officials.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an officer-involved shooting at Woodland Avenue and Golfview Street in Lakeland.
According to preliminary information provided by the sheriff’s office, the HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) task force, comprised of officers from several local agencies, were conducting a traffic stop on Francis Perry, 32, a known convicted violent felon.
Perry, according to officials, had an active warrant out for his arrest, and was trafficking what appeared to deputies to be meth in his car.
Officers from four agencies — Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Wales Police Department, Haines City Police Department, and Winter Haven Police Department — approached Perry in his car. They were all clearly identified with vests that read "SHERIFF" across the chest and back.
As they approached Perry’s car, Perry, the only occupant in the car, opened fire on them. Officers immediately fired back, and Perry was shot multiple times.
Officers on scene called for an ambulence and performed CPR to keep Perry alive. He was transported to an area hospital, where he went into immediate emergency surgery.
No officers were injured.
Per standard procedure, the officers involved in the shooting will be placed on paid adminstrative leave, according to Polk County Sheriff’s officials. In addition, the incident will be investigated by the Sheriff’s Office’s homicide unit and administrative unit, as well as by the State Attorney’s Office.
Officials stressed that Perry had a long criminal history prior to today’s events, including drug possession and distribution charges, weapon charges, and robbery charges. He’d also previously admitted to two different law enforcement agencies that he was a member of a White Supremacist movement.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a man who was involved in a road rage encounter and allegedly threatened a motorcyclist with a baseball bat.
Part of the incident was recorded by witnesses using Snapchat.
Joseph Sudano, 62, said he was driving his motorcycle near the intersection of Hillsborough Avenue and Town ‘N Country Boulevard around 11:30 a.m. on July 20.
Sudano said he was being tailgated by a man driving a gray pickup truck.
"You know, he was driving too close so that was kind of dangerous and I said something to him and he said something back," Sudano said.
He told deputies the driver went past him, slammed on his brakes and got out of his truck.
Sudano said the man grabbed a baseball bat from his truck and threatened him. As he was calling 911, Sudano said the suspect said "I’ll just take this instead" and grabbed the gold necklace off his neck.
"That’s pretty gutsy to do that in broad daylight," he said.
Sudano said he doesn’t regret speaking up with the man got too close.
"No, this is me," he said. "I’m sorry, I’m going to say something. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong because you know, if I don’t say something he might hit somebody next time."
Investigators are hoping someone recognizes the man. They said the suspect was driving a 2000-2005, light gray, Nissan extended cab pickup truck with flared wheel wells.
Crimestoppers Tampa Bay is offering a $ 3,000 reward in this case.
Anyone with any information reference the suspect is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200 or anyone with any information regarding the identity and whereabouts of this suspect and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477).