RIVERVIEW, Fla. — Law enforcement officers returned fire during a specialized traffic stop Tuesday morning in Riverview, killing a man who has been wanted for murder since 2009, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
The deadly shooting involved multiple agencies within the U.S. Marshals Service, including the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Tampa Police Department. They set up surveillance in a Riverview neighborhood after learning that 39-year-old Don Astor — "a well-known Latin King[s] gang member," the sheriff said — may be in the area.
According to Chronister, the law enforcement officers spotted Astor getting into the passenger side of a blue Acura driven by his 19-year-old stepson and made the "conscious decision" to conduct a tactical traffic stop.
A tactical traffic stop is essentially when officers use their patrol vehicles to box a car in and avoid a pursuit.
But as the law enforcement officers completed the stop, the sheriff said 19-year-old Angel Vallejo "floored it" and rammed into a Polk Sheriff's deputy vehicle.
"The driver decides that, 'Hey, my stepdad's not going to jail today. I'll get you out of here and continue that attempt to allude arrest,'" Chronister said.
The Polk County deputy got out of his car and approached the driver's side of the Acura while two Tampa police officers approached the car from behind.
That's when Astor shot across the car and through the window toward the deputy, Chronister said.
"Our bad guy...once again exemplifies he has no regard for human life," the sheriff continued.
According to investigators, both the deputy and the two Tampa police officers returned fire. Astor died at the scene, and neither Vallejo nor a third person in the back seat of the car was injured.
Vallejo is facing felony charges.
“Our commitment to protect this community runs deep. Nothing will ever stop us from doing whatever it takes to keep the citizens we serve safe," Chronister said.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said both officers have been with the department for more than 20 years and did everything as they were trained to do.
"Literally, it was textbook looking at the scene," he said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the deadly use of force while the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office will work to find out why Astor was in Riverview and if he is connected to any other violent crimes in the area.
In addition to being a suspect in a 2009 murder out of New York, Astor reportedly had a history of violent crime, including assault, rape, robbery and failure to register as a sex offender.
Chronister said Astor "in every sense of the word is a true and real bad guy."
"Being on the run since 2009, this individual was finally taken into custody. This individual will never have the opportunity to victimize or harm another human being." the sheriff said.