Officials give timeline on Bonnie and Clyde crime spree in Northwest Florida
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WEAR)
A news conference held by multiple law enforcement agencies detailing how they stopped an interstate crime spree just wrapped up. Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan opened the news conference saying, "In the panhandle of Florida we take crime serious." He then went straight into the timeline of events. Sheriff Morgan said the initial call about a shoe store in Pensacola being robbed came in at 7:56 p.m. Around 9:44 p.m., Escambia County deputies spotted a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle the suspects had been driving. That vehicle was headed toward Gulf Breeze. At 9:52 p.m., an ECSO deputy spotted that vehicle turning eastbound onto 12th Avenue in Pensacola. The vehicle was spotted again at 10:16 p.m. parked at a home. The homeowners tell authorities the suspects, one armed, took off in a red truck down Garcon Road. It appears the suspects had no connection to the people inside the home. No one was injured. Deputies chasing the suspects moved into Santa Rosa County, and lost sight of the vehicle due to heavy traffic in the area at the time. The area was blocked off around midnight, and that's when a standoff ensued. Around 12:52 a.m. shots were fired. Blake Fitzgerald, who authorities say used his accomplice as a shield, was killed. Brittany Harper was injured. She has been taken to Sacred Heart Hospital for injuries to her leg and ankle. Officials say as of 9:55 a.m., Harper was conscious and will remain in their jurisdiction until prosecution. She will be charged with home invasion robbery, false imprisonment and grand theft auto. Sheriff Morgan said there is no legal issue with Escambia County deputies engaging with the suspects in Santa Rosa County because the chase began in their area. The six officers involved are on administrative leave, which Sheriff Morgan said is standard procedure, while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates.