Turner, who was driving a newer model Ford Mustang, told the dispatcher he was being followed by a man with a gun in the area of North 50th Street and East Columbus Drive.
Turner told the dispatcher that before the man had started following him, he had pulled up next to him, rolled down a window and brandished a semi-automatic handgun. He didn’t know the man or why he started following him.
Turner stayed on the phone with the dispatcher while he drove onto I-4 and headed east toward Orlando. As he approached the I-75 overpass, shots rang out and Turner was hit, authorities said.
Turner pulled his car over and died at the scene, deputies said.
I actually passed this scene yesterday on the way home from seeing Atlantis. They had several forensic units and dozens of officers. They even had a tent setup over the victim’s vehicle to preserve the scene.
Scary stuff. My car can definitely get away from a Taurus but how do you make the call to do 130mph+ on busy roads at 3pm to avoid being shot before you actually are?
I don’t know enough of the details regarding this specific situation to MMQ this unfortunate fellow’s actions and I will be interested to hear from LEOS and other professionals who have an informed opinion on these situations.
My first inclination in a similar situation would be to pull into the most crowded public area I could readily access, get into a public building if possible, and maintain contact with the 911 dispatcher until the cavalry rides in.
It is a weird situation, a firearm was brandished, did he actually point the time at him? Did he know the person in the other vehicle? Lots of question’s need answers.
This is a prime example why you carry, someone pulls up next to you and shows you a gun or whatever, what exactly is there intention or state of mind? Ill will is probably on the menu. If you could drive away from him quickly that would best as engaging in a firefight in the middle of traffic is NOT something that is advisable.
Absolutely we do not know any of the details. The “victim” could very well be a guy who sold the “suspect” a batch of bad drugs. No way of knowing.
Getting out of dodge is surely advisable. And I’d definitely make my firearm more readily accessible (put it on my lap for example, if it wouldn’t fly away during braking)
After thinking some more, I’m fairly certain my car would be at the limiter of 133mph. I’d tell the dispatcher that and after I got far enough away I’d make enough turns and zig zags that they’d never find me and then wait for an LEO. For sure though, I am not going to be firing any rounds while among traffic unless I’m actually being shot at and there is no way to escape. If LEO’s want to play hard ball I will take the reckless driving ticket and go to court with the 911 transcript later.
Gee added while investigators assume this is a case of road rage, there is no way to tell right now. He does say a road rage incident happened right around the same area a few years ago during the Strawberry Festival. In that incident back in 2005, 49-year-old David Neel of Wesley Chapel was shot and killed. He crashed off the I-75/I-4 interchange. His murder remains unsolved.
Having been in a similar circumstance before, my question is if the shooter pulled up beside, displayed a gun, then why did the guy let him fall in behind him to follow? If you stay behind you have options. If the shooter stops, gets out, displays the gun, you ram him. You can turn off the road and the other guy has to double back to pick you up again. Ask the dispatcher where to meet the closest PD/Sheriff.
If that were me, the guy just pulls up beside me and brandish his firearm at me, I would engage.
Apparently driving away from him, having him follow you, while you are dialing 911 and talking to dispatchers didn’t defuse the situation.
If someone brandishes a firearm at me in a threatening matter, I don’t care what their thinking is, if they recognize me as someone else, I am going to engage.
Few years ago while driving in the evening I was leisurely traveling the posted speed limit. A car, (appeared to be street racing variety) pulls out around me in a no passing zone. I figure what an asshat and continue on my way. As I approach the intersection the car is stopped in the right lane. Light is red. Passenger in vehicle quickly exits coming toward my vehicle with a metal rod of some sort. I quickly pull my carry and aim out the passenger window. He sees firearm and scrambles to return to his vehicle. I take pertinent info and call dispatch. They are picked up within minutes. Felony warrants for vehicle theft and assault/battery. They had been jacking cars in a different state and decided to try mine. Why they would want my Accord I have no clue.
Anyways for me, if you come at me expect force to be met with greater violence/force.
The Honda Accord has been perennially among the top ten most stolen vehicles in the US for one simple reason: demand for parts (body/interior/powertrain etc) is huge due to the popularity of the car.
Despite popular belief, the most popular cars to steal are not high $/high flash. They are the mundane daily drivers sold by the millions and the money isn’t in selling stolen cars, it’s in selling stolen car parts.
Back to the subject at hand, totally concur with doing whatever needs to be done to get behind the aggressor and lose him ASAP. That goes doubly so if my family is with me. There is no way I will willingly start a gunfight from my car with my wife and/or daughter in it.
I don’t have a car that can outrun many others, and even if I did, living where I do sooner or later you will come up to more traffic/roundabouts/traffic lights/stop signs that will allow your pursuer to catch up.
If I were alone, the first response would still be to slip away. The second, if getting away immediately is not possible, is to engage with car and handgun until the threat is stopped.
Lol, I knew that. I was just being a little sarcastic.
But yes, boring daily drivers are the most stolen these days. Although we have a high rate of performance diesel pickups stolen in my area.
If I was driving and a weapon was brandished at me I’d probably drive like hell, but I have a truck with a bed on the back, usually full of stuff that will stop anything short of a .50…
Of course, it is a truck so drive like hell means 0-60 in…wait. for. it…wait. for. it…still accelerating…getting there…Thinking about 45…55…oh, I suppose we’ll go 60 now…so if they’re in anything other than a Smart car I’m probably not gonna have the bed behind me to take bullets…
I suppose the best I could do would be to ram them and hope that i can just crush the hell out of their car. Lacking any training in shooting while driving I probably wouldn’t fire back except as a last resort. I think that 7000+ lbs of diesel truck is a far better weapon in that scenario anyway.
I keep two masking-taped to the underside of the dashboard, tucked against the steering column. I think if I can’t get away with 66 rounds plus two 17 round carry mags, I’m not doing my part…
I know It cruises so well at 133 and still has 1200 RPMs to go before redline. Could easily do 150 mph. Tires are rated for 168mph. Ain’t no way in hell a Taurus is catching me at those speeds, or an LEO in a Crown Vic either for that matter.
Agreed. It didn’t defuse the situation. But at what point do you start firing rounds at a vehicle while in traffic with other vehicles?
Its a shitty situation, but if I start putting bullet holes in another vehicle, as a civilian I better have at least one bullet hole in my vehicle first. And as mentioned above, why fire rounds into a moving vehicle when I can use an even better technique, mash the accelerator, and just get the hell away?
Unfortunately we don’t know enough details to discern just what happened. Was this guy just casually driving down the road thinking he lost the perps when they pulled alongside and gunned him down? From the article it didn’t appear that there was an active “pursuit” by the perps. I know for sure if someone pulled a gun on me and was then following me I would not be driving leisurely along while they remained in my rear view.
Good job getting some scumbags off the streets. If only you let him get a little closer…
I understand your reasoning, but are you willing to risk being Zimmermanned because someone brandished a gun? All they have to do is toss the gun out the window and now you’ve shot at a bunch of unarmed black teens.
Yes, I’d rather be alive to deal with the aftermath. Besides, police routinely find all sorts of evidence smaller than a handgun after it’s been tossed by perps.
I’m not waiting for a bullet to come my way, no matter what.
Maybe I’m just a redneck but I have always had a gun in the vehicle, since high school…first thing I install is a lock box (usually under the seat) for a rifle or at least a shotgun.
It cruises so well at 133 and still has 1200 RPMs to go before redline. Could easily do 150 mph. Tires are rated for 168mph. Ain’t no way in hell a Taurus is catching me at those speeds, or an LEO in a Crown Vic either for that matter. 