A suspect sought in the fatal shooting of a mother of four in St. Petersburg on Wednesday was stopped and arrested in Lee County after being located by the Florida Highway Patrol.
An FHP release said that at 12:30 p.m., troopers received a Be On The Lookout alert from the FHP Regional Communications Center regarding a suspect believed to be suicidal and involved in a homicide in St. Petersburg. Troopers located the suspect in Lee County and attempted a traffic stop, but the suspect fled.
Troopers finally stopped the suspect with a PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver near southbound Exit 128 at Alico Road on southbound I-75.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office /
Scene at standoff between suspect in a St. Petersburg fatal shooting and law enforcement. Scene is along southbound I-75 in Lee County involving FHP troopers, and Lee County deputies.
The suspect then barricaded himself inside his vehicle. Troopers, along with Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies on scene, established contact with the suspect and he was ultimately taken into custody.
The suspect was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. No law enforcement was injured on scene.
Due to the crash when the suspect was stopped, the southbound lanes of I-75 were shutdown. The FHP said the road would remain closed until the incident investigation was concluded.
Emergency crews were also on the scene with traffic being diverted off the interstate.
Police in St. Petersburg report that a city sanitation worker and 47-year-old mother of four was fatally shot at a work site around 12:30 p.m. in what they believe was a domestic-related incident.
To plan an alternate route and receive the latest updates on road closures, motorists should connect with Florida 511 online at FL511.com before traveling.
Michael Spampinato / Special to WGCU
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Special to WGCU
FHP and Lee Sheriff personnel at the scene of a crash and shooting along southbound I-75 at Alico Road Wednesday afternoon. Southbound lanes of the freeway at Alico Road have been shut down.
Police are asking people to avoid this area.
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