Hillsborough Co SO, FL, Sgt shot and killed

**Star Man** · 08-15-07, 07:33 AM

A Hillsborough County Sheriff's Sgt has been shot in killed in what appears at this early time to be an ambush where the suspect was looking to kill a cop. The Sgt was shot while driving by the suspects location. The story is below.

RIP brother.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/aug...?news-breaking

The Tampa Tribune
Published: August 15, 2007

Sgt. Ron Harrison.

BRANDON - A Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy was fatally shot this morning while driving his patrol car.
After receiving a tip, deputies arrived at the home of a man suspected in the shooting of Sgt. Ron Harrison, 55, and killed him after he opened fire on them, Sheriff David Gee said. The suspected gunman's name has not been released.
"We lost one of our own," Gee said in a 5:15 a.m. news conference.
Harrison, a Brandon resident and father of four, was shot just after midnight as he was driving north from the intersection of Kings Boulevard and Lumsden Road.
Friday would have been his 21st anniversary with the sheriff's office.
Sheriff's officials gave this account of the incident:
Harrison was headed east on Lumsden, turning north onto Kings beside at least one other car, when a series of shots rang out, the driver of the other car told investigators.
Harrison's patrol car clipped the witness' vehicle and went out of control, Gee said. The deputy activated his emergency lights, crossed the median and crashed into a tree about a half-mile away.
"We believe he was trying to get himself to a hospital," Gee said. "It was the kind of severe wounds that would have [made him] quickly incapacitated."
Harrison was taken to Brandon Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Shortly after the crash, a Riverview woman called authorities to say her boyfriend told her he had just been involved in a shooting a police officer, Gee said.
She provided an address about a mile from the crash scene, at 1707 Village Court. Deputies arrived to find the man had barricaded himself inside.
Deputies tried to negotiate with the man when the man opened fire with a large-caliber weapon, the sheriff said.
Gee said the suspect's shots hit several patrol cars but did not hit anyone.
"I authorized deadly force be used," Gee said. "He was shot and killed by SWAT officers at the scene."
The suspect was inside the home, and the shot that killed him came through a window, Gee said.
At 7 a.m., seven hours after the shooting, investigators were trying to learn details and were searching for other witnesses.
"It's unclear if [the shooter] was in a vehicle or if he ambushed [Harrison] from the roadside," Gee said. "Right now, it appears to be very complicated how this occurred."
Harrison had just completed operating a DUI checkpoint on Brandon Boulevard, Gee said.
"He was just getting ready to end duty," he said. "We don't know if he had encountered [the shooter] or if he was checking him out."
Harrison was not en route to another call and did not radio dispatchers once he had been shot, Gee said.
Morning motorists are asked to use alternate routes around the intersection. The portion of Lumsden between Kings and Parson Avenue will be closed to traffic until noon, officials said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff's office at (813) 247-8200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS.
The Eagle 8 helicopter and reporters from News Channel 8 and The Tampa Tribune are at the scene. Stay with TBO.com for developments on this story.

**Jenna** · 08-15-07, 07:37 AM

Rest in peace.

**iso607** · 08-15-07, 07:38 AM

Rest in peace, brother.

**Mac120** · 08-15-07, 08:00 AM

Rest in peace, Brother.........yet another reminder of the sick world we live/work in, watch your six gents.....

**Trojan 42** · 08-15-07, 08:35 AM

Rest in Peace.

**BigDawg** · 08-15-07, 09:17 AM

RIP my Brother

My thoughts and prayers are extended to your family, friends, and Dept.

**snuffy2202** · 08-15-07, 10:12 AM

RIP, brother.

**Buttercup** · 08-15-07, 10:17 AM

RIP

**lewisipso** · 08-15-07, 10:49 AM

Rest easy.

**Pretty Boring Civi** · 08-15-07, 10:59 AM

My condolences to his family.

**Star Man** · 08-16-07, 04:05 PM

Some of the latest info to come out of the investigation was the fact that he was using racial slurs while in the standoff with police. The suspect said "88-14" which is related to Hitler and Aryan Nation. It so happens that the murder of the black Sheriffs Office Sgt came a few minutes after midnight, and the day that had just ended 30 minutes before was 08/14/2007. It appears that he targeted the Sgt simply because he was a black police officer.

Two snipers each took one shot at the same time and killed the suspect in his home.

Originally Posted by news coverage

-- More details continue to emerge about the shooting death of a Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy.

According to authorities, Sgt. Ron Harrison was shot twice with a .45-caliber weapon at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday shortly after conducting a DUI checkpoint in Brandon.Officials said the man suspected in the shooting, 24-year-old Michael Allen Phillips, was shot and killed a short time later by SWAT team members after he barricaded himself in his mother's Brandon home.

The shooting happened on Lumsden Road near Kings Avenue as the 55-year-old Harrison was wrapping up a DUI checkpoint. Officials said a driver in the area reported hearing shots at about the same time.
Deadly Shooting
Authorities said Harrison was in his cruiser when he was shot and activated his lights and siren and tried to drive off. However, he lost control of his cruiser, struck another vehicle and then crashed into a tree. Officials said Harrison died before reaching Brandon Hospital and that he never radioed for help.
Investigators are trying to determine if Harrison was ambushed or if the suspect was in the car with him at the time of the shooting.
"[Phillips] potentially could have been on foot but we most likely believe that he was in the pickup truck that was in front of the residence this morning," said Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee.

A short time later, Rosa Bradley of Riverview called authorities, saying her boyfriend may have shot a deputy three times and was at a home on Village Court.
"During that conversation, she told us that she had spoken with Phillips, her boyfriend, and that he had advised her at that time that he was going to kill her, her parents, and that he had already shot 'a cop,' " said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference.

A SWAT team then converged on that home and negotiations began with the suspect.

Gee said Phillips' mother and a small child exited the home before Phillips barricaded himself inside. Gee said numerous attempts to get him out failed.
"We did have a brief conversation with him," said Gee. "He made some statements. He referred to a term '8814.' Which he explained to a person on our end of the line that the 88 stands for 'Heil Hitler.' And that the 14 was the number of words in an Aryan nation term."
"Yesterday was 8/14, as one of our negotiators pointed out."

"Our communication with him was that he was not going to be cooperative."
Gee said Phillips fired more than 10 shots at SWAT team members with a large-caliber weapon, prompting two snipers to kill him at about 3:45 a.m. Those deputies are on paid administrative leave, as the shooting is investigated.

"I authorized deadly force be used," Gee said. "He was shot and killed by SWAT officers at the scene."
Gee said none of the SWAT team members were injured.

The ambush theory is also moving forward and they think that the suspect may have tried to flag the Deputy down and get him to roll his window down while side by side in traffic. The two shots were upper body hits with one going under the armpit into the chest.

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE GUYS EVEN IF IT APPEARS SOMEONE IS LOST AND JUST NEEDS DIRECTIONS!