ORLANDO, Fla. — Two police officers in Orlando, Florida, are in critical condition after a shooting during a traffic stop late Friday night, officials say.
The Orlando Police Department on Facebook said that Friday night around 11 p.m., officers were investigating a car near Garland and Washington that was reportedly wanted for a homicide investigation in Miami. The officers conducted a traffic stop and the suspect shot two officers.
“This is a sad day for our police department. I want to thank all the law enforcement agencies who are assisting us. We will find these suspects and bring them to justice.” Police Chief Eric D. Smith said on Facebook.
As of 9 a.m., Saturday morning, police confirmed that both officers are still “fighting for their lives,” according to WFTV.
Smith said that the suspects carjacked a driver and led police on a pursuit. Following the pursuit, the car was left abandoned, according to the news outlet. An active manhunt was underway in Apopka by the Marden Ridge Apartments.
In a news conference Saturday afternoon, Smith said officers caught up with one of the suspects, Daton Viel, 28, at a Holiday Inn on Caravan Court, according to WFTV.
Viel barricaded himself inside the hotel room. SWAT eventually evacuated the hotel. Viel reportedly fired at officers and officers fired back, Smith said, according to the news outlet. Viel was shot and died from his injuries.
The second suspect that police were looking for turned out to not be involved, Smith said, according to WFTV.
The officers’ identities have not yet been released. Both officers are expected to survive from their injuries doctors said in the Saturday afternoon news conference.