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Orlando Police ID suspect in shooting involving officers; witnesses rush to help after crash

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Published  May 19, 2022 10:18pm EDT
Orange County
FOX 35 Orlando

Orlando Police ID man accused of opening fire on officers

Orlando police have identified the man they say began to shoot at officers following a traffic stop on Wednesday afternoon.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando Police have identified the suspect in Wednesday’s officer-involved shooting. They said Carlos Roberts Jr., 28, shot at officers during a traffic stop before speeding off and crashing into a pole on Mercy Drive.

Two men, Henry and Ron Blake, were getting ready to drive out of their neighborhood located on Colony Way at the time of the incident. They hadn’t heard the shooting, they said, did witness Roberts’ gold SUV flying through the air into a cement wall. "We were going to pull him out of the car because we thought the car was going to blow up," said Ron.

The Blakes said sparks and flames were coming from the Cadillac SUV moments after the crash. "We thought he was going to die right there," said Ron.  "It puts a frog in my throat right now to think that that would happen," said Henry.

They say Roberts was unconscious when they found him. His back was covered in blood. As they tried to pull him out Orlando Police pulled up. "He kept pointing with the gun down saying, where is the gun? Where is the gun? Where is the gun," said Henry.

The Blake’s didn’t know about the shootout with police. The family roofers thought the shots were just some fellow carpenters. "Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop! I said whoever laying that roof has got my nail gun," said Henry.

Orlando Police say they pulled Roberts over for an illegal pass near the intersection of Mercy and WD Judge Drive. They say Roberts shot at them before they could get out of the car. Police returned fire before he sped off and lost control.

"No matter what he did, I would get him out," said Henry. "If he had to go to prison for 20 years so be it, but he’s alive."

Before all of this, Roberts had no criminal convictions and only a few traffic violations to his name. Now he has five counts of shooting at a car and two counts of attempted murder of an officer and fleeing the scene.

OPD said Roberts is in stable condition at the hospital. None of the officers were hurt.