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Fire destroys deputy's cruiser, another vehicle

Officials rule out an accident in the blaze near the Pinellas-Pasco line. The blaze also claims a private vehicle, but no one is injured.

By JACOB H. FRIES
Published May 8, 2006

Someone crept up to a Pinellas County deputy's parked cruiser early Sunday, poured a flammable liquid over it and lit it afire, authorities said.

When the fire reached the cruiser's fuel tank, it exploded and spread the blaze to a private vehicle parked nearby, also destroying it, said Pasco County Fire Rescue Investigator Donald Campbell.

Fire officials ruled out this being an accident, saying it was clear someone had intended to burn the cruiser.

The car was parked outside a deputy's home off Anclote Boulevard on the Pinellas-Pasco county line when it was torched at 4:28 a.m. Deputies' home addresses are not released.

Deputy Terry Troutman, 32, who lives in Pasco County, had left his take-home cruiser at the home of Deputy Kenneth Garris on Friday because agency vehicles must remain inside the county.

It took firefighters nearly 30 minutes to control the fire. No one was injured.

Because it occurred on the county line, both Pasco and Pinellas authorities responded.

"Any time a law enforcement officer is targeted, it is very alarming," said Pinellas sheriff's spokesman Mac McMullen.

Sunday's fire comes a month after Pinellas sheriff's officials revealed that squad cars had been the target of three drive-by shootings while parked outside deputies' homes.

McMullen said it appeared this fire had no connection to the other incidents, which were in Largo.

None of the drive-by shootings hurt anyone, but in two of the cases, bullets penetrated the deputy's house, officials said.

The first shooting occurred at 2:27 a.m. on Feb. 7. The other two were after midnight on March 30, about eight minutes apart.

Investigators had found no link between the individual deputies, besides the fact they all drive marked sheriff's vehicles and had parked them outside of their homes. Patrol deputies and members of the agency who are called to scenes drive take-home cars.

The Sheriff's Office informed employees of the shootings, advising them to be cautious, but no policies have changed regarding take-home vehicles, officials said.

[Last modified May 8, 2006, 02:30:18]