Man kills himself following Vero Beach Walmart carjackings and shootout with deputy (Video)
On June 9, Deputies with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shoplifting call at the Walmart in Vero Beach, Florida. A man later identified as Ronnie Heith Spradlin of Gordonsville, Virginia, was nabbed inside the store while trying to shoplift a bathing suit. Spradlin made his way out of the store and into the parking lot – but was not about to allow himself to be arrested.
Turns out, the 43-year-old shoplifter was a 6’ 4” gang member and career criminal who had 88 prior felony convictions and also had an outstanding arrest warrant in Virginia for a previous burglary.
When confronted by law enforcement in the parking lot, Spradlin pulled out a gun and fired at deputies. He fled on foot through the parking lot, where he attempted to carjack a family that included two children in the back seat. When he couldn’t make off with that car, he fired into the vehicle, striking the mother and father. Those parents sustained non-life threatening injuries and were treated at a local hospital.
The family in that car fled – driving out of the parking lot wounded and with multiple bullet holes in their car.
Spradlin then successfully carjacked a second vehicle occupied by a single female. He drove that car east through the parking lot as he was pursued by an Indian River County Deputy. Spradlin had to stop the car when he came to a dead end and couldn’t drive any further – with the deputy hot on his tail.
When Spradlin was forced to stop, he again produced his weapon and fired at the deputy who in turn returned fire.
See the graphic dashcam video below, released by the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, which shows the deputy arriving on the scene and chasing Spradlin through the crowded parking lots until they both reach that dead end in front of the Vero Beach Auto Zone.
Although the deputy fired his service weapon through his patrol car windshield, striking the suspect – autopsy results revealed that Spradlin ultimately died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right temple. He died at the scene.
No deputies were injured in the shootings. Police investigations revealed that most of Spradlin’s 88 felony convictions were from charges he sustained in Virginia.
As to why the suspect had been on the streets with 88 convictions, Sheriff Loar responded, “good question.” ~ WTVX
For more on the story, see the video report below.
(Source: Indian River County Sheriff’s Office)
Posted by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
