Police: Bullet from shootout hits Orlando officer's vehicle 'inches from where he sat'

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Police Department warned residents to stay away from South Kirkman Road from State Road 408 to Washington Street as officers responded to a fiery crash.

The incident started in the 800 block of Jackson Street when an officer saw two groups of individuals shooting at each other, a department spokeswoman said.

When the officer approached the groups, a black SUV fled the scene while continuing to shoot at the other group of individuals, investigators said.

During the exchange, the officer's truck was struck by a bullet, police said.

The shot hit the officer's vehicle "inches from where he sat," OPD said on Twitter.

The officer called for backup, which prompted a large number of officers to respond to the area.

Officers were able to track the SUV from Jackson Street to the area of Kirkman Road and State Road 408, where it collided with another vehicle and caught fire, investigators said.

The scene ended with the crash and fire on Kirkman Road without any officers firing their weapons, officers said.

Latoya Wilson was there when the suspects' SUV crashed.

"I heard a big boom," she said. "I saw a fire at this truck right here. Then I see a guy, he ran from this truck. Ran up here."

The department sent out an alert on Twitter, showing a burning vehicle surrounded by numerous police cruisers and officers.

After the crash, the four people in the vehicle tried to run away, police said. Officials said they were taken into custody after the crash and at least one firearm was recovered.

One of the suspects was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound from the initial exchange, investigators said.

Police said three people were arrested: David Williams, 26, Brandon Kirkland, 25, and Dave Ogeris, 24. Each was charged with discharging a firearm in public and shooting from a vehicle within 1,000 feet of a person.

Williams and Ogeris were charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Kirkland and Ogeris were charged with fleeing/attempted to elude a police officer and resisting an officer without violence. Ogeris was also charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injuries.

The driver of the vehicle hit by the SUV was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

After the shooting and crash on Kirkman Road, officers were able to identify two apartments on Jackson Street and were believed to be connected to the incident, an Orlando Police Department spokesman said.

Because there were weapons involved, the SWAT team was called out to the scene and cleared  both apartments, officials said.

No one was inside the apartments when the SWAT team entered.

Cox Media Group