Horrifying moment Mercedes driver is killed by police after fleeing traffic stop
Surveillance footage showed the shocking moment a driver was shot and killed by police at a Florida gas station after they said he fled a traffic stop.
The driver, whose identity has yet to be released, failed to pull over on Sunday afternoon in Fort Lauderdale, police said.
Police sent the vehicle's description to other officers via police radio, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said in a statement to DailyMail.com.
The driver eventually pulled into a local gas station about a mile away.
Police vehicles quickly spotted him and approached his vehicle in the parking lot.
Police Chief Bill Schultz told reporters at a press conference later that night that the incident escalated when the driver exited his vehicle holding what appeared to be a firearm.
The surveillance footage, obtained by WTVJ News, captured the driver pulling into the Chevron station in a silver Mercedes.
The driver stopped his vehicle in front of a gas pump and opened his door before a black sedan pulled up behind him.
He then continued to drive away but stopped short when another vehicle blocked the exit.
The white vehicle was blocked from escaping the parking lot and appeared to try to flee
Police vehicles arrived on the scene after the officer-involved shooting
The white Mercedes was seen pulling up to the gas station before police arrived
An officer in the car behind him is then seen jumping out of the sedan and running toward the driver's car.
One of the gas pumps blocked the view of his car.
An initial investigation of the incident revealed that officers suspected he had a firearm, resulting in the shots fired.
The driver was taken to a local hospital and later died from his injuries. It's unclear how many times and where the driver was struck during the altercation.
The incident occurred in broad daylight while multiple customers were at the gas station. Onlookers could be seen taking out their phones to record the shocking chain of events.
Chief Schultz told reporters that the officer who opened fire has been placed on administrative leave with pay per departmental guidelines.
A neighbor, Kevin Forbes, told WTVJ that he heard eight shots and police sirens, noting that the incident was unusual for the neighborhood.
'Boom, boom, boom, boom, straight eight shots,' he said. 'No pausing nothing, just straight eight shots.'
'We don't have that stuff going around here like that so to hear that right near my house - it's very disturbing,' Forbes added.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating the shooting.
Police Chief Bill Schultz told reporters that an officer fired his gun after the man was suspected of having a firearm
Neighbor Kevin Forbes said that he heard eight shots
The incident followed another officer-involved shooting in the city on December 11, 2024.
FLPD released a statement earlier this month detailing the shocking death of 21-year-old Jalen Moore.
Police responded to 911 calls from family members concerned that Moore was experiencing a mental health crisis.
When they arrived on the scene, dispatchers informed officers that Moore was armed and there was an infant inside the home.
He exited the home with a gun, holding his little brother hostage, police said. After de-escalation tactics, the officers fired their weapons at Moore. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
