Man killed in hit-and-run after Tampa police officers tried to arrest him
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A man was killed in a hit-and-run after Tampa police officers tried to arrest him during a police investigation.
Tampa police said they responded to the 4000 block of West Hillsborough Avenue around 2:20 a.m. after a man was reportedly choking a woman in the parking lot.
Police said the first officer at the scene found the man and attempted to question him. They said the suspect refused to obey commands and tried to re-enter a vehicle where the woman was.
As more officers arrived at the scene, the man attempted to leave on foot. As an officer deployed his Taser, a vehicle traveling eastbound on Hillsborough Avenue struck the suspect and continued without stopping. The suspect died at the scene.
Tampa police said the incident is classified as an in-custody death because an officer was trying to make an arrest when the suspect was hit by a car. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will take the lead on the investigation.
Police said they are searching for a dark four-door sedan.
The woman involved in the incident did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
The eastbound lanes of Hillsborough Avenue between Lois Avenue and North Dale Mabry Highway were closed for several hours. They reopened at 8 a.m.
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