Pensacola Police Busy Week: Drive-By Shooting, Officer Resignation, Deadly Crash and More
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Pensacola, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- It's been a busy stretch for the Pensacola Police Department. Spokesman Mike Wood talked with Pensacola Morning News Tuesday to walk through several cases that have kept officers and investigators working overtime.
The most significant arrest of the week came after a drive-by shooting on Walton Street, where a gunman fired from a moving vehicle at an occupied home, striking both the house and a parked car. Investigators credit the city's newly installed FLOCK license plate reader cameras with cracking the case — identifying the suspect's vehicle within hours of the shooting. A suspect is now charged with attempted murder. Wood noted the cameras have only been active in the city for a matter of days, saying the department expects even more results as the network grows.
Also making headlines this week — a Pensacola Police officer resigned in the middle of a felony investigation. The officer is accused of failing to disclose an HIV-positive status to a sexual partner, a violation of Florida law regardless of whether transmission occurred. Wood said the case was treated no differently than it would be for any member of the public, and said Chief Eric Winstrom has made transparency a priority when it comes to employee misconduct.
Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a separate incident in which a driver fled a PPD traffic stop and almost immediately crashed into another vehicle, killing that driver. One of the central questions investigators are working to answer is whether a pursuit was ever officially underway at the time of the crash. Wood said FHP routinely takes over investigations involving serious crashes connected to law enforcement activity, and said video is being reviewed. No charges have been announced.
In another unusual incident, a PPD officer in an unmarked vehicle was intentionally rammed from behind on Interstate 10 eastbound near Scenic Highway. The suspect fled into Santa Rosa County, crashed a second time, and ran into the woods. The officer was not seriously injured but his vehicle was disabled.
On a lighter note, a quick-thinking victim and fast patrol response led to the recovery of a stolen necklace near Dillard's Thursday night — with the suspect arrested shortly after the theft.
Finally, a weekend crash at Cervantes and Garden Street sent a vehicle into a local cemetery, destroying 10 headstones. Police are investigating whether alcohol played a role.
