Car Theft Suspect Injured In Ft. Lauderdale Police-Involved Shooting
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - Fort Lauderdale Police say one of their officers opened fire on a suspect in a stolen car after the driver accelerated toward officers with his car.
Police say the driver of the stolen vehicle was struck and was taken to Broward General Medical Center where he is recovering.
Investigators are releasing few details about the shooting that occurred at NE 3rd Avenue and NE 4th Street.
According to police, around 4:55 pm Friday an officer got a Lojack hit on a car, alerting them that the car was stolen. Officers tracked the car to a gas station near Sunrise Boulevard.
At the gas station, according to a police spokesperson, one of the occupants of the car bailed out and the driver took off.
Minutes later and a short distance away, police say the driver hit a parking meter with his car.
Police tell CBS 4 News that officers got out of their cars to conduct a "high risk felony stop, the driver of the stolen vehicle accelerated towards the officers." Police said the officer fired because he feared "for the safety of others, as well as himself."
We're told that none of the officers were injured.
"This is a tough time for everybody -- the suspect, the suspect's family, as well as the officers involved in this," said Ft. Lauderdale Police Detective Travis Mandell.
The name of the suspect has not been released.
