An Orlando police officer was shot Monday while trying to apprehend a murder suspect outside a Walmart, and during the manhunt, a deputy was killed in a motorcycle crash.
The murder suspect, identified as Markeith Loyd, was wanted in the Dec. 13 murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon and for allegedly critically injuring her brother Ronald Steward outside her home. A $60,000 reward was being offered for information leading to Loyd’s capture.
A shopper at Walmart notified Master Sgt. Debra Clayton that Loyd was at the Walmart while the police officer was putting bags in her trunk, Fox News reported. As Clayton walked toward the store, Loyd ran out and fired at least 12 shots at her as she attempted to apprehend him, hitting her three times, the website said. Witnesses reported Loyd was wearing a security uniform.
Loyd then attempted to dodge other police involved in the manhunt by holing up at an apartment complex nearby, where he fired shots at a deputy’s SUV and carjacked another vehicle to escape, said Fox News. No one was hurt at the apartment complex.
The Walmart was closed and 17 schools were locked down as a result of the incident, CNN reported.
Several other law enforcement officers have been injured in the manhunt, which is ongoing, and a deputy traveling by motorcycle as part of the manhunt was killed in an accident after colliding with a van, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The deputy has not been identified while authorities try to contact relatives.
Loyd had a long criminal history dating back to 1994, and he was arrested 20 times since that year, Fox News reported.
Police say that the manhunt will continue until Loyd is found.
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