Danny Federico
reporter3.riverbendnews@gmail.com
A fatal shooting occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, June 25, in Hamilton County involving a homicide suspect who was the subject of a statewide alert.
Just before 1 a.m., deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office were alerted to a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) issued by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) for a suspect who was wanted in connection to a triple homicide in Bradenton, Fla. A press release from the MCSO revealed the individual to be 28-year-old Javontee Brice, a resident of Bradenton. Brice's last known location had been tracked to the Gainesville area via his cell phone.
Acting on this information, Hamilton County deputies positioned themselves at the Agricultural Inspection Station. They soon spotted a vehicle matching the description of Brice's car. Deputies followed the vehicle, which proceeded to take the 129 exit, also known as exit 451 for Live Oak and Jasper.
The vehicle pulled into a closed service station across from the Love's truck stop. Hamilton County Sheriff Harrell Reid stated deputies waited for backup before engaging. Once additional officers arrived, they activated their police lights and instructed the occupants to exit the vehicle.
The passenger, a woman, exited the car first. The suspect, believed to be Brice, then emerged with a firearm and began shooting at the officers. According to security footage from the store, the suspect fired first, prompting officers to return fire. The suspect was shot and killed at the scene at approximately 1:30 a.m. The woman fled during the exchange of gunfire.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing and is being led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Sheriff Reid stated the suspect's body will be sent to Jacksonville for positive identification.