Convicted felon with violent history in custody after exchanging gunfire with Tampa police: TPD
TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa police took a suspect with a violent criminal history into custody on Tuesday morning after they say he fired shots at them at an apartment complex.
The backstory:
According to Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw, two officers were investigating an unrelated robbery at the Azula North Apartments, located at 4939 E. Busch Blvd. around 10:30 a.m. when they saw a man, later identified as Matt Fowler, 23, trying to enter vehicles and apartment doors.
The chief said the officers went up to Fowler to find out what he was doing and that’s when a fight occurred.
During the altercation, Bercaw said one of the officers saw Fowler pull out a gun.
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Fowler aimed the 9mm handgun with an extended magazine that held 30 bullets at the officer and pulled the trigger, according to the Tampa police Department.
The officer returned fire.
Neither the suspect nor the officers were injured during the shootout.
Police say Fowler ran away after the shooting, but was captured a short time later near N. 50th St and Temple Heights Rd. His gun was recovered from a nearby dumpster.
Dig deeper:
Bercaw said Fowler is a convicted felon with a criminal history who was released from prison about a year ago.
Fowler has been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. He is also facing charges related to burglary.
The involved officers have been placed on administrative leave, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the officer-involved shooting aspect of the incident, both actions consistent with established Tampa Police Department policies.
What they're saying:
"Every officer who wears the badge understands the inherent dangers of this profession, yet they selflessly answer the call to protect our community," said Chief Lee Bercaw. "These officers, already engaged in an active investigation, demonstrated their dedication by proactively addressing criminal activity. Their actions, which placed them directly in harm's way, undoubtedly contributed to the safety of our residents. We are incredibly grateful that our officers were not injured, and we are now focused on ensuring justice is served."
The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Tampa Police Department.
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