JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An armed robbery suspect was shot and killed by police after he fired several shots and attempted to run from the officers, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
The gun battle took place at about midnight Monday on Whispering Pines Drive off Collins Road on the Westside.
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According to police, the suspect, 20-year-old Luiz Vizcarrundo, carried a gun to rob a convenience store at Roosevelt Boulevard and Timuquana Road. When police caught up with Vizcarrundo, they said he turned the weapon on them and opened fire.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Director of Investigations Chief Dwain Senterfitt said a patrol officer saw what he believed was the suspect's car on Collins Road as it turned into an apartment complex just after midnight. During an attempted traffic stop, the suspect shot at police and the officer shot back, Senterfitt said.
The suspect took off in his car and drove to another apartment complex, where investigators said Vizcarrundo stopped and exited his car.
"The suspect was standing with his hands in his pockets. (The officer) told him to take his hands out his pockets, and he immediately drew a pistol from his pocket and fired two shots at the officers," said Senterfitt. "The officers returned fire."
He said a foot pursuit began as the officers chased Vizcarrundo around the apartment complex. The chase ended near the front of the complex after the suspect was shot several times and died.
Police said no officers were injured in the exchange of gunfire.
Investigators said so many shots were fired that they went from door to door in the neighborhood to make sure nobody had been struck by a stray bullet.
Some residents in the area told Channel 4 they awoke to sounds of gunfire, and others said they awoke to find crimes scene tape draped outside their homes.
"When I was leaving this morning to go to work, I saw the police and everybody outside. I don?t really know what was going on, but I was kind of scared because I don?t know what's going on with all this police shooting," said resident Von Mobley.
"The suspect was shooting at police, running through two different apartment complexes, shooting at police. That's part of the training that police officers receive. Along with knowing when they're authorized to use deadly force is how to properly do it and also to evaluate things like backstop and making sure they're not putting anybody at risk," Senterfitt said.
Also a part of officers' training is learning to make a potentially life-changing decision in the blink of an eye.
"I get to talk to these officers right after because I have to respond to all these, and I can tell you most of them are pretty shook up. They are not happy about what happened, but it's their job and that's what they go out and do," Senterfitt said.
Senterfitt said that because there are three crime scenes -- the convenience store and the two apartment complexes -- the investigation would take a while.
Like in all police-involved shootings, the use of deadly force will be investigated by JSO and the state attorney's office.
The fatal shooting at midnight was just one of two that took place before sunrise Monday. About a half hour later, two suspects lost control of a vehicle during a police chase following holdups at two different stores on the Southside.
Police involved in that incident captured one of the suspects; the other fled on foot and an officer shot and killed him.
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- November 24, 2008: 2 Suspects Dead After Separate Overnight Police-Involved Shootings