LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) — The suspect accused of sparking an hours-long standoff that shut down Interstate 75 in Lee County this week made his first court appearance Saturday from his hospital bed.
Ladavion King, 43, appeared before a judge while hospitalized in serious condition. King will remain held without bond until the pretrial detention hearing.
He faces multiple felony charges filed by the Florida Highway Patrol. Those charges include:
Four counts of attempted second-degree murder with a firearmOne count of discharging a firearm in publicOne count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felonOne count of fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer
The charges stem from Wednesday’s standoff on I-75 near Alico Road after authorities say King fled following a fatal shooting in St. Petersburg.
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According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, King is accused of fatally shooting a 47-year-old City of St. Petersburg sanitation worker in what investigators described as a targeted attack before fleeing south into Lee County.
Florida Highway Patrol located King’s vehicle on I-75, where the pursuit ended in an hours-long standoff that shut down both northbound and southbound lanes of the interstate.
King was later taken into custody after the standoff and was hospitalized with serious injuries.
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The Florida Highway Patrol said this remains an active investigation, while the St. Petersburg Police Department continues to investigate the separate homicide case.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the suspect had been released from an area hospital. The Florida Highway Patrol later confirmed as of Friday evening that the suspect remains hospitalized in serious condition.