Two St. Petersburg police officers were killed and a US marshal was injured in a shootout Monday morning after police attempted to deliver a domestic battery warrant to a St. Petersburg home.
Chief of police Chuck Harmon described the tragedy to FOX News in a press conference as, “the chief’s worst nightmare.”
“This is something you never hope to face,” said Harmon.
“I’ve had a couple [of officers] shot, they were injured pretty significantly, but to lose two in one day is a tremendous loss for our department and our community.”
The suspect, Hydra Lacy Jr., has a criminal record dating back to 1989 and has since then been charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, sexual battery with a weapon and aggravated child abuse, according to state criminal records.
Lacy was being issued a domestic battery warrant Monday morning after he failed to appear in court in November.
Police arrived at 3734 28th Ave. S. at approximately 7 a.m. to interview Lacy’s girlfriend with hopes of discovering information about Lacy’s whereabouts.
According to The St. Petersburg Times, Lacy’s girlfriend told the officers that Lacy was inside the house, hiding in the attic upstairs.
After entering the home to arrest Lacy, gunshots were fired from the attic, killing St. Pete K9 officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz and wounding a US deputy marshal.
Officer Tom Baitinger entered the home shortly after with backup to rescue Yaslowitz and the marshal, but was also killed in the gunfire.
According to police reports an estimated 200 shots were fired by Lacy and police.
After four hours of bantering gunfire, contact with Lacy was lost at 11 a.m. according to police spokesman Mike Puetz.
“We don’t know if he’s wounded or just lying in wait,” Puetz said.
At 2:15 p.m. Lacy was pronounced dead. Police found his body among the rubble of the house after tearing it to the ground as they searched for Lacy within the house.
“I consider them friends . . . and I’m going to miss them,” Harmon told the St. Pete Times at an afternoon press conference.
“It’s a very hard day for the police department. It’s a very hard day for the community.”
There have been ten police fatalities by gunfire so far this month, a number that has spiked 20 percent from last January, according to the police memorial fund.
At least six Florida police officers have been killed by gunmen since June — two in Tampa, two in Miami and two in St. Petersburg.
Joshua Napier can be reached at joshua.napier90@gmail.com.