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Judge: Man killed in shootout that sent Orange County deputy to hospital should have been in jail

ORLANDO, Fla. — A 20-year-old man who was killed in a shootout that sent an Orange County sergeant to the hospital should not have been on the street in the first place, a judge told Channel 9 Wednesday.

Deputies were trying to arrest Christopher Redding Jr. at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Park Central apartments at South John Young Parkway and Americana Boulevard for a robbery last month outside the Mall at Millenia, investigators said.

Redding had been arrested on Jan. 28 on robbery charges and was on probation at the time, which should have prohibited him from getting out on bail, Orange County Chief Judge Frederick Lauten said.

"I actually have the original warrant in my hand," he said. "Somewhere, there was a breakdown in the Department of Corrections where this warrant was not executed timely."

Redding was killed and 45-year-old Orange County Sgt. Richard Stelter was wounded Tuesday morning in the shootout, officials said.

Stelter, a father of three and 21-year veteran with the Orange County Sheriff's Office, suffered several gunshot wounds, but was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon.

After Redding's arrest in late January, his probation officer filed a violation of probation warrant that was signed by a judge on Feb. 2, court records show.

The Department of Corrections, though, said it did not receive the warrant until Feb. 9.

Our agency had a tragic incident today---the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and deputy-involved...

Posted by Orange County Sheriff's Office, Florida on Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Unfortunately, there are times court filings can fall through the cracks, Lauten said.

"Every now and then there's a breakdown in that system," he said.

When he was confronted Tuesday, Redding got out of his vehicle and continued to shoot at deputies while fleeing, so they chased him and fatally shot him.

Stelter was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center for treatment. The four deputies who returned fire are on administrative work while the investigation continues.

After the confrontation, investigators realized that a 1-year-old girl and a 4-month-old boy were seated in the back of the car. They weren’t injured, but deputies said a woman in the passenger’s seat had minor injuries on her arm.

Photos: Orange County sergeant wounded in shooting

Nicole Moore, who lives nearby, said she and her family were eating breakfast when she heard what she thought was firecrackers. She later realized that the noise was a barrage of gunfire.

“All I could hear [were] gunshots. I saw the man running. I saw him wobbling,” she said. “Before that, I saw at least three cops running after him.”

Moore said bullets shattered her window and bathroom mirror, narrowly missing her and her children.

“It literally went right past my head,” she said. “I ended up getting cut on my knuckle. My boyfriend got cut on his arm.”

Nancy Horton, 80, whom Redding is accused of robbing while she was walking back to her car at the mall in January, told Channel 9 that she was amazed her attacker was freed from jail.

Horton is still recovering from severe injuries that she suffered during the Jan. 26 robbery, during which Redding came up from behind, slammed her to the pavement and snatched her purse, police said.

"They dislocated my shoulder, fractured it in numerous places, to the point where I have artificial bones," she said. "It's sad they prey on the elderly."

She said Redding fled with her purse, which contained credit cards, cash and other personal information.

Horton said she's unsure if she'll ever regain the use of her arm.

The deputies involved in the shooting, none of whom were publicly identified, have been employed by the agency between 12 and 22 years. They were temporarily reassigned to administrative duties, which is typical in shootings involving law enforcement officers.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement continues to investigate the shooting.