ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A man fleeing a traffic stop shot a Florida sheriff's sergeant and a K-9 before turning the gun on himself, officials said.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office tweeted that the shooter died early Friday. He was identified as 23-year-old Elijah Johnson.
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The Tampa Bay Times reports Johnson was stopped around 2 a.m. by a Pinellas County sheriff's deputy who was working with a violent crimes task force.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Johnson tried to flee. A St. Petersburg police officer and K-9 found his abandoned car nearby and began tracking the area.
Johnson shot K-9 Titan before fleeing again and shooting at Sgt. David Stang, who appears to have been caught by surprise, the sheriff said.
Stang and Titan were both listed in stable condition.
We send best wishes for a safe and speedy recovery to K-9 Titan of @StPetePD and Sgt. Stang of @SheriffPinellas. Both were shot in the line of duty during an early morning incident. https://t.co/6oDS8HT785
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) March 29, 2019