Two St. Petersburg police officers killed by fugitive barricaded inside a house

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Two St. Petersburg police officers killed by fugitive barricaded inside a house

2011-01-25 06:03:43 GMT+7 (ICT)

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) -- Two St. Petersburg police officers on Monday were killed by a fugitive barricaded in the attic of a house.

Sergeant Thomas Baitinger and K-9 Officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz were shot dead by a fugitive who began firing at several officers after they found out he was hiding in the attic of a St. Petersburg home.

At about 6:58 a.m. local time, a St. Petersburg Police Department undercover detective, a Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputy and a Deputy with the U.S. Marshals Service went to a home to interview a relative of the fugitive.

The investigators were looking for leads regarding the whereabouts of Hydra Lacy, 39, a man wanted on an arrest warrant for failure to appear on a charge of aggravated battery.

During the interview, the law agents learned that Lacy was hiding in the attic of the home. They called for reinforcements at about 7:07 a.m. local time. Several officers, including Sergeant Thomas Baitinger and K-9 Officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz responded to the call.

Yaslowitz and a U.S. Marshal Deputy were positioned near the entrance to the attic when they asked the suspect to surrender to which he denied and opened fire against them instead.

The U.S. Marshall was struck by the gunfire and tumbled to the first floor. Yaslowitz was struck by one bullet and fell inside the attic. Several officers, including Sgt. Baitinger entered the home to assist.

They tried to rescue the two wounded officers while the suspect was still hiding in the attic and firing several rounds through the ceiling. Baitinger was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and was struck by at least one of the suspect's bullets.

The bullet missed Baitinger's vest and struck him in his upper torso. The other officers managed to extract Baitinger and the U.S. Marshal from the intense gunfire. However, they were unable to rescue Yaslowitz as he was in the attic where the suspect had barricaded.

At about 9:30 a.m., TAC Team members entered the home to rescue Yaslowitz. During the exchange of fire, the suspect was wounded and the K-9 officer was finally extracted.

Officer Yaslowitz was transported by ambulance to Bayfront Medical Center where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to his upper body. Sgt. Baitinger was also pronounced dead at the hospital.

The U.S. Marshalls Service Deputy sustained a non-life threatening gunshot wound and was receiving medical treatment at Bayfront. The suspect texted a relative that he was wounded in the exchange of fire.

In the afternoon, members of the TAC Team re-entered the house and found the suspect dead in the attic. Forensic teams are working on confirming the identity of the body.

Lacy had a significant criminal history, including aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, sexual assault and kidnapping. Lacy was also a registered sexual offender.

Florida Governor Rick Scott condemned the senseless killing of Sergeant Baitinger and Officer Yaslowitz. He also called for the recovery of the U.S. Marshal wounded. He remarked the sacrifice made by those working in law enforcement to safeguard Florida's communities.

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