Cops interrupt Ybor robbery; 1 suspect killed in gunfight

The plainclothes officer were on patrol and found the five suspects pistol-whipping two men in the Eighth Street parking lot.

By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER and BRENDAN WATSON
Published June 10, 2005

TAMPA - Two undercover Tampa police officers are on paid administrative leave following a shootout with five armed suspects who tried to rob two patrons leaving Ybor City for their Haines City homes early Friday.

Internal affairs and homicide unit investigators are still sorting out how many shots were fired and by whom, said Tampa Police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.

Police do know that the clash left one suspect dead and another near death. A third suspect is in stable condition at Tampa General Hospital, another sustained only minor injuries, and the fifth man - who was not injured - is in jail after a police dog tracked him following the shooting.

"A police shooting is something you never want to have to deal with," McElroy said. "But this is the best outcome possible. The officers walked away, the victims walked away and the suspects are paying a price for their actions."

The incident occurred just after midnight at a parking lot off Seventh Avenue between 18th and 19th streets.

The officers, Dave Savage and Sean Kruger of the Street Anti-Crimes Squad, interrupted the suspects pistol-whipping two victims in the Eighth Street parking lot while on routine patrol, according to a police press release.

When the officers identified themselves, at least one suspect turned on the police with a gun. It was unknown if the man fired on police, or how many shots the officers returned.

One suspect fell in the parking lot. The other three ran on foot along Seventh Avenue, where one man, Rickey L. Gurley, 18, collapsed and died on the busy entertainment strip. The other suspects were arrested.

Police performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on two suspects, reviving one, according to the release.

Harvey D. Broadnax, 19, is listed in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital; Willie C. Palmore Jr., 19, is listed in stable condition; Terrance A. Randolph, 18, was treated for a minor injury; and Tramaine A. Scott is in police custody. All suspects are of Tampa.

All five men - including the youngest, a 17-year-old - have prior criminal histories. McElroy said some officers who learned of the players in Friday's shootout immediately recognized the suspects' names.

"The suspects' decision to go after the victims last night is apparently part of their lifestyle," she said. "It's unfortunate, because these victims are traumatized."

The robbery victims were identified in the release as Derrick Whitfield, 32, and Mike Johnson, 24 both of Haines City.

[Last modified June 10, 2005, 11:50:02]