Suspect Dead After Running Over His Female Passenger in Cocoa Crash, Flees Police Officers

suspect's name has not been released, female passenger in critical condition

BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – Florida Department of Law Enforcement is currently investigating a Cocoa Police involved shooting that resulted in the death of a 48-year-old man early Saturday morning.

Prior to the shooting, police say the suspect was involved in leaving the scene of a crash where a 39-year-old female was ejected from his vehicle causing him to run her over.

Cocoa Police officers responded to the scene near the 2700 block of US-1 after receiving reports that a woman had been run over by a vehicle.

Witnesses reported the vehicle was a red 4-door Jeep with the doors off.

“According to witnesses, the male (suspect) had been driving recklessly for several miles southbound on US-1 from Titusville,” said Yvonne Martinez of the Cocoa Police Department.

“The witnesses reported the suspect driver of the jeep hit a curb in the median and the passenger was ejected.”

When officers arrived at the crash scene, they found the female passenger in the roadway.

After briefly communicating with officers, she became unresponsive and was airlifted to a local hospital.

According to the Cocoa Police Department, the woman is in critical but stable condition.

After police arrived at the scene, one of the officers observed the Jeep involved in the crash fleeing the scene.

Other officers responding to the area attempted to stop the suspect in the Jeep, before he sped away from officers.

Police chased after the suspect who drove westbound on Michigan Ave., recklessly through the parking lot of Eastern Florida State College, then south on Clearlake Rd.

The suspect continued to flee south, turning west on to Pluckebaum Rd., before stopping at a gate leading to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office farm.

“Officers attempted a high-risk traffic stop, at which time the suspect put the vehicle in reverse, and disregarding the officer’s commands, began aggressively backing the vehicle toward the officers,” said Officer Martinez.

The suspect then struck the side of one patrol vehicles, simultaneously pushing the other patrol car through a fence and down the embankment into a lake.

As a result, one of the officers fired several rounds at the suspect causing him to be wounded.

Rescue crews transported the suspect to the hospital for medical care where doctors later pronounced him dead.

The officer involved in the shooting was not injured.

FDLE responded to conduct the investigation into the police shooting.

The officer is now on paid administrative leave, per policy, while the investigation is ongoing.

The identity of the suspect is being withheld until next of kin has been notified.

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