Police in Georgia have identified a murder suspect who was shot and killed by Tampa police officers.
Tampa officers say they were on the lookout Sunday evening for a homicide suspect from South Fulton, Georgia who was believed to be in the area.
The South Fulton Police Department has identified the man as 41-year-old Timothy O. Wyatt.
According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Wyatt was released from prison in May of 2017, after spending eight years incarcerated for charges that include aggravated assault on a police officer. Wyatt was on parole.
Wyatt was wanted for shooting and killing his girlfriend and shooting two of her sons on the morning of Easter Sunday. The 12- and 14-year-old boys survived and are expected to be okay.
Wyatt left the area after the shooting, according to police.
Just before 6:15 p.m. on Sunday, Tampa officers spotted Wyatt’s white Chevy Impala near Hillsborough Avenue and North 15th Street. When the suspect saw the officers, he drove away and started a brief police chase.
Police say Wyatt shot at them during the chase. Officers on the ground backed off the once a police helicopter started tracking Wyatt from the air.
Wyatt eventually stopped and got out of his car at the intersection of North 15th Street and East 28th Avenue near the Ybor Heights neighborhood.
According to Tampa police, he started shooting at officers then tried to carjack a woman. Officers returned fire and hit Wyatt.
On Monday, News Channel 8 obtained video that shows the suspect trying to carjack the woman. The video, taken by Tyler Thornhill, shows Wyatt getting out of his car and running toward an SUV. He then lifts his arms and appears to shoot at officers.
“I just heard a bunch of gunshots in the video and the guy just drops and he doesn’t move again. It’s kind of scary that it happened right there in front of the house,” Thornhill said.
Tampa officers and FHP troopers immediately started performing CPR on Wyatt after he was shot, but say he died at the scene. Two handguns were found near his body.
Five Tampa police officers have now been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol. Four of the officers on leave shot at the suspect. The fifth officer was shot at by Wyatt.
“We’re very fortunate no innocent people were injured. We’re very fortunate no police officers were injured. It’s a sad outcome, but this is what our cops deal with every single day,” Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said. “There is no routine day of work for them. Any time you stop a car, you never know what you’re going to get involved with.”
