Orlando police officer shoots, kills man during traffic stop

Police say Brian Christopher Leggitt tried to run cop over

Brian Christopher Leggitt

ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando police officer shot and killed a man who tried to run him over during a traffic stop, according to officials.

Brian Christopher Leggitt, 31, died in the shooting, which occurred around 6 a.m. Tuesday near Thorpe and Wentwood avenues not far from Edgewater Drive and Lee Road.

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According to Orlando police, an officer tried to stop a Pontiac on Orange Blossom Trail near Colonial Drive, but Leggitt sped away.

An alert was issued and the car was spotted near Thorpe Avenue, and an OPD officer conducted a stop, police said.  The officer got out of his car, and Leggitt put his vehicle into reverse and tried to run the officer over and rammed the patrol car, according to police.

The officer opened fire, shooting and killing Leggitt, police said.

"When I woke up and I hear everything the first thing I did was go and check on him," said Tiffany Phelps, who heard the gunshots from her home.
The officer was not injured.

The officer, whose name has not been released, was placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in police-involved shootings.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the shooting.

Records show Leggitt has a criminal past that goes back 2005. According to the FDLE, he has served prison time for trafficking stolen property, burglary, aggravated stalking, grand theft and cocaine possession.

Watch Local 6 News and stay with ClickOrlando.com for more on this story.


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