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.
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.
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.
PERSON OF INTEREST: See Images Of Brody Whitaker WFTV EXCLUSIVE: Raw Video Of Suspect | See Images PRESS CONFERENCE: Officials Share Latest Details
The all-out search for the suspect continued Friday. He's been on the run since just before 10:00am Thursday.
Friday morning, crews were using a FLiR system as the search continued. It's a basic infrared camera that can see a body in the woods. They use it from the helicopter, which was first able to fly Friday morning after weather kept them on the ground overnight.
Nearly 24 hours earlier, the man fired several shots at a Florida Highway Patrol trooper and then ran through the woods trying to escape, ducking under branches and leaping over fallen trees. Only Skywitness 9 was there to see him run from the law.
Sumter Shooting WFTV exclusive branded image 032510 EXCLUSIVE: Suspect Runs Through Woods | Images Troopers never got a good look at him during the incident, so WFTV sent them Skywitness 9 video to help find him (EXCLUSIVE: video | images).
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.
An eyewitness told WFTV the gunman sped past her at a high speed and then she saw him fire at least one shot at the trooper who was chasing him on Highway 44. She pulled over, shaking, and saw the trooper slam on his brakes and fishtail.
While driving down Hwy-44, the driver turned onto a dirt road and headed down NW 33rd Drive (see map), before crashing his tan 1999 Chevy Suburban into a tree. The SUV has California plates and investigators said Thursday afternoon that the vehicle had not been stolen.
The suspect then fled on foot into dense woods and swamps that are part of the Lake Panasoffkee Wildlife Management Area. Skywitness 9 spotted the shirtless suspect running through the woods (EXCLUSIVE: video | images) with a small army of officers close behind him, but he was able to elude them in the thick brush.
More than four hours after the search started, eyewitness Carol Hurley came back to the scene and told law enforcement officers and WFTV what she saw the gunman do after he sped past her.
"The truck must have been going about a hundred miles an hour. I just saw an arm come out the window like this, bent around, and then I saw the arm pump up like this, like he had fired a shot. I saw a gun in his hand," she said. "The state trooper slammed on his brakes and I thought he was hit."
There were about 150 law enforcement officers on the hunt for him Thursday, but they're up against rough terrain. The Lake Panosofskee Wildlife Reserve covers more than 8,000 acres and it is riddled with downed trees and swampy areas.
"We are gonna treat this suspect as armed and dangerous until we prove otherwise," Kraus said.
Previous Stories: March 26, 2010: Man On The Run After Firing Several Shots At Trooper