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Suspect, hostage killed in police shootout

By Staff and wire report
Published October 7, 2005

	[Times photo: Brian Cassella]
	Tampa police collect evidence at the Luxury Motel in east Tampa, scene of Friday morning's police-involved shooting.

TAMPA - A suspect and the woman he held hostage were both killed following a gun battle by police early Friday at a Tampa motel, police said.

Tampa police shot and killed Gary T. Brewer of Palm Harbor after he fired at them with a sawed-off shotgun outside the Luxury Motel on E Hillsborough Avenue about 5:30 a.m. They returned fire, killing Brewer. Also killed was the woman Brewer was holding hostage. He had been holding her at gunpoint in the motel room, then emerged with her in a headlock before he began firing on police.

Her identity was not immediately available.

The city's police chief said his officers had no choice but to return fire Friday on a crack-addled gunman, even though he had a hostage in a headlock. Tampa Police Chief Stephen Hogue said officers typically don't shoot at suspects holding hostages but were forced to fire to defend themselves.

"It developed very quickly, and the suspect forced the issue by coming out of the room with the hostage and shooting at police," Hogue said in a news conference.

Asked if officers could have taken cover and allowed Brewer to go on his way with the hostage, Hogue said that might have been an option if he had not fired at them. When he did, Hogue said, "he changed those dynamics completely."

The gunfight outside the east Tampa motel culminated a crack-cocaine fueled night that saw Brewer, 45, first detaining another woman in a condo in another part of the city, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

Officers were called to the motel after someone ran across the street to a gas station and reported a woman being held hostage, McElroy said. Officers arrived, peered inside the room and saw Brewer with the shotgun, a woman and a dog.

Officers heard a shot inside, which turned out to be Brewer shooting the dog. Minutes later he came out of the room with the woman.

"He has the woman in a headlock with the gun pointed at her head," McElroy said. "He spots an officer to his right, levels the shotgun at the officer and fires at the officer."

Multiple officers fired at Brewer, killing him and wounding the woman, McElroy said. She was taken to a hospital and died later Friday morning, police said. The mixed breed dog, which belonged to someone else staying in the room, later died.

Investigators were still trying to determine how Brewer and the women knew each other.

The incident began at about 9 p.m. Thursday, when Brewer held his girlfriend against her will at her south Tampa condo, McElroy said. She said he used crack cocaine throughout the night.

She was able to break away and call police at about 4:40 a.m., McElroy said. By the time officers got to the condo, Brewer had fled. About an hour later, he was dead outside the motel room.

Brewer, who had a Palm Harbor address, had been arrested in June for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said.

[Last modified October 7, 2005, 17:14:58]