SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — Officers identified a man Friday they believe to be the suspect who fired at a trooper Thursday morning. Brody James Whitaker, 37, was named as a "person of interest" (see images) Friday morning as a search for the suspect continued.
Investigators say Whitaker is a white male, 5-foot-8, approximately 150 pounds with dirty brown or strawberry hair and blue eyes. He has a warrant for drug charges in Michigan, as well as a criminal history in at least three other states.
Just after 3:00pm Friday, one of the deputies guarding the perimeter along Highway 44 saw a man they thought was Whitaker, run from the wooded search area north across 44 and onto a private ranch. Dozens of officers mobilized from the command center and rushed less than a mile west on Highway 44 to Ventura Ranch.
PERSON OF INTEREST: See Images Of Brody Whitaker WFTV EXCLUSIVE: Raw Video Of Suspect | See Images PRESS CONFERENCE: Officials Share Latest Details
Florida Fish and Wildlife officers, FHP troopers, and officers from 10 different agencies, shifted their focus on that location.
Officers brought out the K-9 unit again to try to track the man deputies had seen. The sheriff's helicopter circled the perimeter of the ranch near the spot where the man was seen running.
The owner of the property heard what was happening and said she rushed home.
"Your house is back there too?" WFTV reporter Kathi Belich asked.
"Yes," owner Missy Linhart said.
"That's a little scary for you right now," Belich stated.
"Very scary. I am glad our children weren't at home," she said.
"Your husband's in there?" Belich asked.
"Yes, he works for the ranch," she replied.
So far officers have not found anyone on the Ventura Ranch property who doesn't belong there. They have started to scale back the search in that area.
The suspect was in the process of being pulled over by a trooper near I-75 and Hwy-44 around 9:40am when he suddenly took off and was pursued by the trooper for several miles. Officials said the trooper was stopping him for "two or more moving violations," something that amounts to reckless driving.
During the pursuit, officers said the suspect fired at the trooper, who returned fire. The trooper was unhurt.
Michelle Kron -- connected to Whitaker 032610 Michelle Kron Whitaker was believed to be in the company of 20-year-old Michelle Kron (aka Michelle Purtell), who was last seen in Ukiah, California in February 2010 by her mother. Investigators said she was believed to be in Florida with Whitaker and the two were last seen in a tan/gold Suburban with a California license plate, which is the same description as the vehicle involved in Thursday's incident. The vehicle is believed to be Kron's SUV.
Investigators found 120 grams of pot in Whitaker's car when they searched it Friday. Officers are not sure if that is the reason he ran from the scene.
The Florida Highway Patrol and the Sumter County Sheriff asks anyone with any information to contact the Florida Highway Patrol at 813-631-4020 or the Sumter County Sheriff's Office at 352-792-0222. Citizens can also contact the Crime Line at 1-800-423-TIPS.
Previous Stories: March 26, 2010: Officials ID Wanted Man Who Shot At Trooper March 26, 2010: Man On The Run After Firing Several Shots At Trooper
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