ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A suspect was taken to the hospital for treatment Wednesday after he opened fire on deputies who were trying to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle that was reported stolen out of Lewistown Pennsylvania, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said they were following a stolen black four-door Toyota Tundra on A1A in Ponte Vedra when a man inside the vehicle opened fire on a deputy. That deputy retruned fire on the vehicle and the truck took off and went into the Sawgrass Village Publix shopping center area located at 220 Front St.
The vehicle was surrounded by deputies and SWAT as they worked to apprehend the suspect. People near the shopping plaza were urged to shelter in place, according to deputies.
SWAT used a gas bomb and were able to apprehend the suspect, who they described as a man in his mid to late twenties, and he was taken to the hospital for treatment of life-threatening gunshot wounds, deputies said.
It is not yet clear if the man sustained the injury from shots fired by deputies or if it was self-inflicted. Deputies said his identity is not yet being released.
No deputies were injured during the incident and the shelter in place has been lifted. People are still being asked to avoid the area as deputies continue their investigation.
