Tampa, FL – A Florida man who allegedly stabbed the mother of his children on Monday was fatally shot by police officers after he opened fire on them following a chase and a crash, according to Tampa’s police chief.
The 33-year-old suspect, who has not been publicly identified pending notification of his next of kin, was described as armed with an AK-47 rifle when he pointed it at officers around 5:48 p.m., said Police Chief Lee Bercaw during a press conference.
The incident unfolded after a vehicle pursuit ended with the suspect crashing into another vehicle, Bercaw explained. Immediately following the crash, the suspect opened fire on the Tampa police officers with the assault rifle.
The tweet below verifies the news:
A Florida man who stabbed the mother of his children was killed by police officers after opening fire on them after a chase and crash, Tampa’s police chief says. https://t.co/xKSrZpDIWb
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 18, 2023
In response, officers returned fire, fatally shooting the suspect. The exact number of officers involved in the shooting will be determined as part of the ongoing investigation, Bercaw stated.
The series of events began earlier in the afternoon when the suspect allegedly stabbed the mother of his children, who was in critical condition at a local hospital, according to police. Afterward, he took the children to his brother’s house, left them there, and stole his brother’s AK-47 before fleeing the scene, Bercaw added.
At approximately 5:40 p.m., officers located the suspect’s vehicle and began following it while waiting for air support, said Bercaw.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct an investigation into the police shooting, as is customary in such cases, officials confirmed.
Fortunately, the children were unharmed and were in the care of a family member as of Monday night. No officers sustained injuries during the incident.
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