Citrus Park man arrested on drug charges after police officer fires gunshot during chase: TPD

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Courtesy: Tampa Police Department

TAMPA, Fla. - A Citrus Park man is facing drug-related charges after a police officer fired a gunshot at him during a chase in the Hyde Park area Saturday night, according to the Tampa Police Department.

The backstory:

According to TPD, the officer-involved gunfire happened around 11:30 p.m. at the 400 block of South Albany Avenue. 

The officer saw two people allegedly involved in narcotics activity in an alley on the 400 block of South Howard Avenue, TPD said.

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Police say that when the officer tried to make contact, Marco Fragoso, 24, ran away, dropping a small bag of suspected narcotics. 

Dig deeper:

According to TPD, the officer chased Fragoso but lost sight of him for a brief moment. Fragoso was later found hiding next to a vehicle on the 400 block of South Albany Avenue. Police say Fragoso motioned toward his waistband, prompting the officer to fire one round in his direction. Fragoso was not hit and suffered no injuries. He was taken into custody.

No officers were injured in the incident. Fragoso faces multiple charges, including possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with physical evidence and resisting arrest without violence, TPD said.

What's next:

Per TPD protocol, the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues, according to police.