An action-flick scenario ends well with recovering officer and armed good samaritan
Via Brady Calhoun at My Panhandle
Sheriff Frank McKeithen led an emotional news conference Friday night as law enforcement officials released more details about the shooting of a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer.
“We are very blessed we have an officer who is alive today,” McKeithen said. He also called Brady’s survival “a miracle.”
McKeithen said Officer David Brady’s training, his bulletproof vest and possibly a higher power saw him through a deadly gunfight on a stolen sailboat at about 4:00 p.m.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer David Brady got a disturbance call about two men in a sailboat in while on patrol in St. Andrews Bay. He went to investigate and pulled his boat along the sailboat asking for identification from the two men on board. One man entered the cabin of the boat, came back out with a firearm and and began shooting at Brady.
Brady jumped from the boat, into the water and engaged in a gunfight with the man. The two men moved from the sailboat to Brady’s boat while continuing to shoot and when they tried to run him over with the boat Brady made contact and shot one of the men in the hand.
Brady also was shot in the collarbone and yet his bulletproof vest stopped several other bullets. Brady flagged down a Coast Guard boat and they helped him get to a local hospital. The suspects took Brady’s boat quite a ways away and escaped on foot, a huge manhunt broke out for the suspects involving every law enforcement agency in the county including some from other counties.
The two men split up and one ran and was later caught by law enforcement and the other one broke into the wrong home: he was met by an armed homeowner who held him until police arrived. One of the suspects had an outstanding warrant in Michigan.
McKeithen did not hold back during the press conference, at one point calling the suspects dirtbag cowards. He also pointed out that law enforcement officers face this kind of danger every time they put on a badge and go to work.
“I have no use for people trying to hurt a law enforcement officer,” McKeithen said. “We’re painted with a brush that we’re bad. We’re not bad.”
Police say if the homeowner would not have been armed himself, the fugitive would have shot him with the glock he used to shoot the police officer in the beginning of the whole ordeal.
This sounds like a crazy action flick, where you always shake your head at the predictability of the bad guys getting caught in the end of the movie. This happened in Florida, Florida is known to have the highest gun ownership in the States. This kid fled from Michigan where he refused to be taken back to jail, and went to Florida of all places. Criminals are really not the smartest of people.
I’m sure we can imagine how desperate this criminal man was, he was thinking maybe if he got to Florida coast he could just find a buddy, steal a boat and live on the run… So he went to Florida stole a boat, but the next idiot mistake he made was shooting a cop. How far do you expect to get if you shoot a cop?!
So he ran to try and victimize and hide out in a florida citizen’s home, bad idea. Once again, a lot of Floridians are prepared for this kind of situation, what a bad move on this idiot criminal. The homeowner was prepared and not only defended his life, but possibly saved the life of other innocents in the suspect’s path. We love you Florida, bravo!
So not only do armed citizens protect their lives and others from criminals all the time with defensive gun use, they also end manhunts. Remember to carry people, you never know when you might need it.
