The pursuit ended with a shooting that closed multiple westbound lanes on Interstate 4 for hours, authorities say.
LAKELAND, Fla. — Deputies in Polk County say a 30-year-old man threw seven Molotov cocktails on the roof of a home in Lakeland around 8:11 a.m. Sunday.
When deputies arrived at the home, they saw Luke Neely getting into a Chevrolet pickup truck and driving away from the area, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Authorities say they ordered Neely to stop the truck, but he refused and drove south on U.S. 98.
The deputy on the scene chased the 30-year-old and tried using a pit maneuver, a tactic designed to make a driver lose control and stop the car, but the tactic failed, the news release mentioned.
Neely then drove onto Interstate 4 westbound with more deputies attempting to chase him, deputies say.
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The pursuit ended near a westbound ramp to I-4 at Branch Forbes Road in Hillsborough County when deputies blocked and hit the truck, the sheriff’s office says.
Neely reportedly then got out of the truck with a fully-loaded AR-style rifle. Deputies open fire, disabling Neely, authorities say.
The 30-year-old was disarmed and deputies found another gun on him, the news release mentioned.
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Neely was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for gunshot wounds. They are not considered life-threatening, deputies say.
“We are in the early stages of this investigation and we thank the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for independently investigating this use of force and we appreciate the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office assistance with the scene investigation,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. “One of our deputies sustained a wrist injury, but other than that, the only person who was injured is the arsonist who fled from our deputies and threatened them. For this I am very thankful.”
The 30-year-old was charged with attempted first-degree murder, arson, fire bombing and resisting arrest. Judd said in a news conference that more charges are expected to follow from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
FDLE will investigate the deputy who shot Neely and HCSO is assisting with the investigation.
