Florida Shooting: Gunman Shoots At Helicopter, Opens Fire On Cop Who Stopped To Help Driver Of Broken Down Vehicle

A wild scene unfolded Saturday morning on Interstate 75 in Florida, and police say a gunman was killed after shooting at a Florida Highway Patrol trooper. A report from Reuters, via Yahoo! News, states that the armed suspect shot an officer who stopped to help the driver of a broken down vehicle.

Due to the Florida shooting, officials closed I-75 in Alachua County for hours. In a statement, the Alachua County Sheriff provided details as to what happened.

“The Interstate has now opened northbound and traffic is no longer being diverted at the 374 mile marker. The trooper had arrived to assist a disabled vehicle when an unknown black male began firing at him, and then fled into the woods.”

According to the report, the incident happened on the side of the road at mile marker 374, just a short distance from Micanopy, Florida. New York Daily News wrote that the suspect, whose identity hasn’t been released as of yet, fired several rounds at a trooper who asked if he was okay as he lay in a ditch.

Fortunately, the officer was not shot, but the suspect was able to escape into the wooded area surrounding the interstate.

WESH reports that the shooting triggered a tremendous response from law enforcement and multiple police officers from agencies across the state came to the assist in the search and authorities established a perimeter to locate the suspect. The People’s Pundit Daily was able to obtain a statement from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office regarding the matter.

“The Marion County Sheriff’s Office, along with multiple other agencies, was called in to assist the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office in response to an armed subject in the area of Interstate 75 near Micanopy, where FHP reported that shots were fired. Law enforcement contained and searched the area to locate the suspect. After law enforcement made contact with the suspect, a confrontation did occur and the suspect is deceased. No law enforcement officers were injured. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has responded to take over the investigation.”

The suspect also reportedly opened fire on a police helicopter circling above and then shot at deputies as they approached his hiding spot in the woods. At this time, an apparent motive for the shooting has not been determined, and it’s unclear if the suspect was killed by officers or a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

[Image via Christopher Furlong/Getty Images News]