Man armed with rifle shot by Florida officers after attempted carjacking, police say
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A man armed with a rifle was shot by police officers on Monday after attempting to carjack an employee at a Popeye's in Daytona Beach, according to authorities.
The officer-involved shooting happened at International Speedway Boulevard and Ridgewood (U.S. 1) on Monday morning, the Daytona Beach Police Department said.
The incident started when the suspect attempted to rob a Popeye's employee. Police said that the employee was waiting to go into work when the suspect approached her with a rifle. He attempted to carjack her and the woman was able to get away, according to officers.
She reportedly called the police, and when they responded, the suspect was observed walking down the street with a rifle. He was ordered by officers to drop the weapon but turned his gun at officers instead.
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"If you point a gun at an officer and attempt to shoot an officer, you're going to get shot. Simple as that. You're going to get shot," Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri said. "We don't get paid to get shot at or killed out here. We're going home at the end of the night, at the end of our shift, to our families. And that's what they did, they did what they were supposed to do and I'm very happy about that, thank god."
The incident ended at a nearby Wawa station, as the suspect was shot. He is in surgery and is going to survive, the Chief confirmed. The female victim and the officers involved did not suffer any injuries from the incident.
"The officers did a phenomenal job. They did a great job. And I couldn't be more thankful for their service and what they did today," Chief Capri added.
He went on to say that they will release bodycam video shortly.
The FDLE is said to be investigating the officer-involved shooting as well.
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