A Sunrise Police officer and an attempted murder suspect were rushed to the hospital after a shooting in Fort Lauderdale Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. at a parking lot in the 200 block of Northwest 22nd Avenue, just north of Broward Boulevard and west of Interstate 95.
Sources told NBC6 that the Sunrise officer was serving a warrant when they were shot. Romuliss Hicks is accused of shooting his girlfriend and the mother of his child as well as stealing her car on Dec. 30. Sunrise Police confirmed the officer was shot in the leg by a suspect, who was also shot.
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The officer was taken to Broward Health Medical Center by Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue in stable condition, officials said. The suspect was also hospitalized in stable condition, police said.
According to the warrant, Hicks and his girlfriend got into an argument and he took her phone. She told police she and their infant daughter spent the night somewhere else. When she came back to their apartment the next day, Hicks chased her, knocked her to the ground, stood over her and shot her twice, in the arm and shoulder, and took off with her car, the warrant said.
She told detectives, "she thought that she was going to be killed by Hicks."
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Footage showed a large police presence at the shooting scene, which was closed off by yellow crime scene tape.
Magnolia Carrion, her husband and their son were waiting on a bus back home to Georgia. When they heard the gunshots, they ran to safety like so many others.
"I heard dot, dot, dot, dot, sounded like four or five heavy shots,” Carrion said. “I ran behind someone's pickup truck and laid on the ground."
Her husband Juan Vidal said they were sitting on a bench when the shooting happened feet behind them.
"When I looked back I saw the police officer on the floor bleeding,” Carrion said. "The police said stop, then boop, I heard the shooting."
The Carrions said they were trying to make it home for a funeral and the shooting happened as the bus was scheduled to arrive.
"I just felt so shook up inside,” Carrion said.
Video from Broward Health also showed officers gathered at the hospital to show their support.
Fort Lauderdale Police officials said their officers weren't involved but responded to assist.
Police didn't release the identities of the officer or suspect, but said the investigation was ongoing.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate, which is standard practice in police shootings.
No other information was immediately known.
Check back with NBC6 for updates.
