Florida Highway Patrol troopers tracked down a man wanted for homicide Wednesday afternoon, July 22, 2026, in a tense standoff that shut down part of I-75 near Fort Myers. It all unfolded around 12:30 p.m., when troopers got a “Be On The Lookout” or BOLO alert for a suspect linked to a homicide in St. Petersburg and considered suicidal.
When troopers spotted him driving in Lee County, they tried to pull him over. He took off. A few miles later, near the southbound Alico Road exit, police forced his truck to a stop with a PIT maneuver. The chase ended, but the standoff began. The man refused commands to come out and barricaded himself inside his vehicle.
Both troopers and Lee County Sheriff’s deputies responded, surrounding the truck. The standoff grew tense; videos posted online clearly captured gunfire, and photos showed the suspect’s truck riddled with bullet holes across the windshield. Police vehicles boxed him in.
Eventually, troopers arrested the suspect. He left the scene with serious injuries and went straight to the hospital. No law enforcement officers suffered injuries. State police haven’t said exactly who fired first or how the gunfire started, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now handling the investigation into the use of force.
Officers blocked off the highway, backing up traffic for hours. In the official statement, Dave Kerner, executive director of FLHSMV, thanked troopers and Lee County deputies for their bravery. “State troopers and law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect the people of this state,” he said. With the investigation ongoing, authorities aren’t offering further details for now, but Kerner made it clear he’s grateful for the officers’ courage during a dangerous afternoon on I-75.
