A man wanted in the fatal shooting of a north Florida sheriff’s deputy during a traffic stop was captured Tuesday following a wide manhunt, officials said.
Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said at news conference Tuesday afternoon that they followed up on tips that led them to Patrick McDowell, 35, in Callahan.
Authorities had been searching for McDowell since the Friday morning shooting that critically injured Deputy Joshua Moyers, 29. Moyers, who was shot in the face and back, died on Sunday at a Jacksonville hospital.
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“I first want to tell our community that we got our man. It's a great day in Nassau County," the sheriff said.
Leeper said they tracked McDowell to a ball park in Callahan and surrounded the bathroom and concession stand area.
“He called out that he wanted to give himself up and he came out,” Leeper said. “We gave him that opportunity. He came out of the bathroom. He crawled like a baby.''
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McDowell did not obey all of the SWAT team's commands, however, and they unleashed a K-9 on him, the sheriff said.
Leeper said authorities used Deputy Moyer's handcuff's when they took McDowell into custody.
On Sunday, officials issued a Blue Alert, similar to an Amber Alert, hoping to seek information on McDowell’s whereabouts.
Leeper said many tips came in and several law enforcement agencies helped set up a perimeter to snare McDowell. He said McDowell had been shot by officers as they chased him several nights ago, and he had reached out to people to help him because of injuries to his leg.
The sheriff said McDowell had wrapped his injured leg in a Callahan soccer shirt he'd gotten from the concession stand.
Leeper said one other person who had been helping McDowell had been taken into custody. He said the investigation is continuing.
McDowell is expected to face multiple charges, including killing a law enforcement officer, the sheriff said.
It was not immediately known whether McDowell has a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
