A 33-year-old man accused of “repeatedly stabbing the mother of his children” was shot and killed by police Monday, according to Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw.
After stabbing the woman several times, the man loaded his children into his vehicle and drove to his brother’s house, where he stole his brother’s AK-47 and took off, he said Bercaw at a news conference near the scene Monday night. He left the children, who are between 2 and 6 years old, in the care of his brother.
Bercaw did not name the man. He said the children’s mother is hospitalized and being treated for what he described as life-threatening injuries.
Officers searching for man in connection with stabbing saw man’s vehicle near southbound Dale Mabry and Spruce Street at 5:40 pm At W. Cypress Street and N. Lois Avenue , the man pointed the rifle at the officers and sped off. out in his car.
The man crashed into a blue sedan at N. Florida Avenue and E. Gladys Street. A shootout between police and the man ensued, and the man was shot to death, Bercaw said. He did not respond to questions about how many officers shot the man and did not say how many times the man shot.
Bullet holes are seen in vehicles after a shootout between police and a 33-year-old man Monday in the area of N. Florida Avenue and E. Gladys Street in Tampa. According to Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw, the man had stabbed the mother of his children several times during the day. [ Courtesy of Matthew Perez ]
No officers were injured in the shooting, the Tampa Police Department said.
“No one should have to witness the chaos that the suspect caused in our community,” Bercaw said.
Sabrina Turner, a passenger in the blue sedan, said she heard about 50 shots fired between police and the man before officers safely evacuated the area.
“I was really scared. I was crying. It was surreal,” he said. “It felt like a movie.”
Matthew Perez said he was working from home in his nearby first-floor apartment when he saw the crash.
“That’s when the shots started to fire. And I just hit the floor, that’s the Chicago in me,” he said. “And finally they stopped.”
Police said the investigation is ongoing and more details will be released at a later date.
This is a developing story. stay with tampabay.com for updates
