ORLANDO, Fla. – A man was injured in a shootout with Orlando police officers Wednesday afternoon, according to the police Chief Orlando Rolon.
In a news briefing, Rolon said officers driving in an unmarked car attempted to pull over a vehicle at about 2 p.m. near the intersection of Mercy and Wd Judge drives.
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Before the officers could get out of their vehicle, Rolon said the driver began to fire at them. The officers returned fire, and the driver sped off.
The driver was shot and crashed the vehicle further down the road. Officers were able to catch up to render aid until Orlando firefighters were able to get on scene, he said. The driver was then taken to a nearby hospital, but Rolon did not provide an update on his condition.
According to Rolon, the officers involved weren’t injured, and they will be placed on paid administrative leave.
“This is very, very preliminary information,” Rolon said, “[it] will have to be verified and we have to respect the fact that FDLE will be leading the investigation.”
Renee Beyer, a bystander, said she was in her front yard just feet away from the vehicles when she heard the gunfire.
“I just heard a lot of shots, and I just started running,” Beyer said. “A lot of shots, like, over 10 shots.”
Beyer’s neighbor, Isaiah Northup, described the gunfire and the vehicle coming to a crashing stop.
“As soon as I heard those shots go off, I knew it was close by,” he said. “As soon as I heard the shots, I looked up — you know what I mean — looking around, and I see the car just flying by.”
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will be investigating the shooting, as is normal procedure with all shootings involving officers.
According to Rolon, the officers involved were wearing body cameras and detectives are reviewing the footage. He also said the video will not be released to the public until after FDLE gives them permission to release it.