Two Orlando Police officers recovering in the hospital after being shot late Friday night.
“They’re doing better. They’re in good spirits but it’s going to be a long road for their recovery,” said Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith in an interview with Fox and Friends.
Authorities said the shooting happened during a traffic stop on a vehicle connected to a homicide out of Miami.
“A shootout ensued, shot both officers. Got in a chase after he carjacked another person,” Smith said.
Investigators said Daton Viel is the man who opened fire.
Court records show he had an extensive criminal history, including an arrest for the rape of an underage girl earlier this year.
He bonded out of jail and records show Viel cut off his ankle bracelet monitor.
After several weeks on the run, officers tracked Viel to a holiday inn.
“The suspect barricaded himself in the room, several attempts to get the suspect to surrender were made. He refused to give up,” Smith said.
Smith said Viel shot at officers again, who returned fire and killed him.
Florida’s afternoon thunderstorms are not only inconvenient, but they can also be dangerous.
A deputy in the panhandle was injured after his patrol vehicle was struck by lightning over the weekend.
According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy was driving along U.S. Route 331 South when it was struck by lightning.
The deputy was transported to a hospital and is expected to be OK.
His patrol vehicle on the other hand was totaled after the strike fried his electrical system.
A Florida boater who went missing off the coast of St. Augustine is rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Charles Gregory, 25, was 12 miles offshore when a Coast Guard airplane crew spotted him Saturday morning, sitting in the partially submerged boat.
A boat crew quickly raced over and helped Gregory off the sinking vessel.
His family had reported him missing the night before when we failed to return to the Lighthouse Park Boat Ramp.
The Coast Guard thanked 10 agencies that assisted with the search and highlighted the importance of having safety gear onboard.
Random Florida Fact
In 1973, SkyLab launched from the Kennedy Space Center.
Three crews spent more than 700 hours living aboard the vessel doing experiments and studying the long-term effects of being in space.
Skylab lasted until 1979 when it deteriorated in orbit faster than expected.
A permanent U.S. station was planned to replace SkyLab but the funding was later canceled with NASA deciding to participate in the international space station instead.