LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A 43-year-old man remains hospitalized at Gulf Coast Hospital in Lee County with a serious condition following a law enforcement-involved shooting on Thursday. The incident concluded a pursuit that began after the fatal shooting of Natasha “Tasha” Moses, a 47-year-old mother of four and city employee from St. Petersburg.
Details of the Incident
Detectives have identified Ladavion King as the suspect in the death of Moses. According to a statement released by a spokesperson for the St. Petersburg Police Department, Moses worked as a sanitation technician for the city for 12 years. She died following what officials described as a “targeted attack” on 12th Avenue South, near 40th Street, in the Childs Park area of St. Petersburg.
Pursuit and Standoff
Following the shooting, King fled the scene in a silver pickup truck. He was traveling southbound at high speeds on Interstate 75 when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper executed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT maneuver) to disable the vehicle.
The PIT maneuver did not result in an immediate surrender. King refused to exit the truck, leading to a standoff involving Florida Highway Patrol troopers and deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office near Alico Road. The situation escalated into a law enforcement-involved shooting during this barricaded subject incident, Infobae reported.
Official Responses
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno released a statement expressing pride in his department's response to the crisis. He specifically commended deputies from the special operations unit, the crisis negotiation team, the advanced technology support unit, K-9 units, and patrol officers who responded to the scene.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has been called to investigate the law enforcement-involved shooting. Standard protocol in such cases involves an independent review by state authorities to ensure transparency and adherence to legal standards during police interactions involving firearms.
