ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — More details have been revealed through court documents on what led up to a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper-involved shooting early Sunday morning on I-95 in St. Lucie County.
The incident started at around 5:30 a.m. Sunday, when FHP Sgt. Julio Torres was driving northbound on I-95, entering Martin County at 85 mph and spotted a silver car following his vehicle.
At the time, a Be on the Lookout (BOLO) had been issued by Hillsborough County for Tommy Leal, 29, in a 2024 silver Mitsubishi Outlander.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, they responded to an assault in Tampa at around 8:15 p.m. Saturday when a witness identified Leal as the suspect. When deputies attempted to pull over Leal, he fled the scene, driving away erratically. A warrant was issued for fleeing to elude and reckless driving.
The FHP arrest report said when Torres ran the car's Maryland license plate, he found the vehicle was a involved in a "hostile situation" in Hillsborough County and was at one point in pursuit with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Incident notes also said "the vehicle had guns and a long gun."
Torres slowed down to allow the car to pass, continuing to follow the suspect vehicle and eventually turned on his lights and sirens in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop before the Midway Boulevard exit in St. Lucie County.
The suspect, identified in the arrest report as Leal, then turned off his headlights and attempted to flee from Torres, topping at 109 mph on I-95.
Investigators said Torres proceeded to successfully perform a PIT maneuver on Leal's vehicle. While the suspect's vehicle was rotating, Torres said he saw the driver pointing a handgun at him. Torres then said the driver tried to shoot at least one round at him.
Leal's car entered the outside shoulder of the highway onto the grass, rolling over at least once.
The arrest report said Leal did not comply with Torres' commands to exit the vehicle with his hands up. Torres waited for backup units to arrive before approaching the vehicle.
St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office units arrived at the scene and used a drone to view the vehicle. Leal was seen lying on the grass with a long-barrelled firearm, according to the arrest affidavit.
Officers and another FHP trooper approached the vehicle with a shield and apprehended Leal and placed him in handcuffs. The trooper found a shotgun inside Leal's pocket. Leal was taken to Lawnwood Medical Center.
According to the arrest document, the vehicle dash camera footage showed the moments Leal's vehicle was rotating as he was firing at Torres. Two rounds could be heard from the video footage, and one of the rounds shows the muzzle flash out of Leal's window.
After taking Leal to the hospital, investigators found a firearm box on the front passenger seat of his vehicle, and multiple rounds were scattered inside. Officers discovered an ammunition sling with around 25 shotgun shells on the ground underneath the vehicle.
Leal, who is from Miami Gardens, faces charges of fleeing police at a high speed, aggravated battery on an officer, firing a missile into a vehicle and discharging a firearm from a vehicle. He made his first appearance at the St. Lucie County Jail on Monday morning and is being held on a $200,000 bond.
