'Very harrowing': Woman who opened fire on police in 'ambush' at Tom Brown Park shot and killed
A woman opened fire on officers and a deputy Thursday night in what police described as an “ambush” in Tom Brown Park, prompting law enforcement to shoot back, striking and killing her.
No officers or other members of the public were injured in the shooting, which happened after closing time near the playground and BMX area at the sprawling, east-side park.
The incident began to unfold around 8:30 p.m., when officers with the Tallahassee Police Department stopped a vehicle on Apalachee Parkway during the course of a drug trafficking investigation.
The suspect in that case, Durrell Lee, 35, fled during the traffic stop, TPD Deputy Chief Jason Laursen said during a Friday morning news conference at police headquarters. About two hours later, however, a 911 call came in from an unknown person saying that Lee had been spotted in Tom Brown Park.
Multiple TPD officers and a Leon County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded and made contact with Lee, who was with another man and a woman later identified as Asia Fitzgerald, 25.
Police arrested Lee on a litany of drug charges and briefly detained the other man for questioning. Fitzgerald, meanwhile, walked away from the scene — only to come back later armed with a rifle, Laursen said.
“As officers began releasing the (second) man from custody, the woman re-emerged and began firing a rifle at officers,” Laursen said. “In fear for their lives, multiple officers and one deputy fired back at the woman, who sustained injuries.”
Officers rendered medical aid to Fitzgerald, who was taken to a local hospital and later died.
Heather Merritt, a TPD spokeswoman, described the shooting as an “ambush” in an early statement by police. Laursen said both she and the second man who was released were known by law enforcement and considered threats to officers.
“Law enforcement had knowledge from other agencies in the area that this person was a threat to law enforcement,” he said of the deceased woman. “The male and female that were together were considered threatening to law enforcement.”
Laursen described the incident as “a very scary situation.”
“From what I’ve seen on the body-cam footage, it was very harrowing for the officers,” he said.
Seven TPD officers and the deputy all returned fire on the woman, Laursen said. All were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a TPD investigation, which is customary.
The State Attorney’s Office is expected to present the case to a grand jury later for review. Laursen said body-cam footage will be released "at some point" in consultation with the state attorney.
Lee was arrested on charges of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, trafficking in heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, cocaine and a hallucinogen with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The investigation remains active and open.
Police shut down all entrances to the park into the overnight hours as they conducted their investigation, though the roads later reopened. The Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the Tallahassee Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services assisted at the scene.
“Thankfully, no law enforcement officers were injured as a result of this incident,” Merritt said. “Additionally, there’s no ongoing threat to public safety and there are no outstanding suspects.”
So far this year, four people have been killed and 26 injured in 33 shooting incidents in Tallahassee and Leon County, according to a Tallahassee Democrat analysis.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com and follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: TPD: Woman who opened fire on officers in 'ambush' at Tom Brown Park shot and killed
