Suspected carjacker dies after shootout with officers

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - A suspect was killed after gunfire was exchanged with officers, police said.

St. Petersburg police is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred on Wednesday morning. Just before 1 a.m., an officer spotted a white pick-up truck at the Choice Food Store at 5th Avenue South and 34th Street. The truck was possibly stolen in an armed carjacking from Monday evening, police said.

The officer kept the truck under surveillance, which appeared to be driving slowly with a flat front tire. The suspect, Timothy Earl Jackson 33, eventually turned east into an alley behind 2940 Freemont Terrace South, according to St. Petersburg police chief Anthony Holloway.

Two patrol cruisers followed. Police said Jackson stepped out of the truck and fired a gun toward the two officers, and the officers returned fire. A bullet hole was seen in the hood of one of the patrol cars.

Jackson has since died after being transported to a hospital. No officers were injured.

“This is going to be a very thorough investigation,” said St. Petersburg police chief Anthony Holloway while at the scene. “We want to go through everything so we can recreate exactly what happened.”

Jackson is thought to be one of two men involved in Monday's carjacking, Holloway said during a press conference. The carjacking victim told police two men blocked his pick-up truck as he was driving in the 4800 block of 20th Avenue South. One pointed a black semi-automatic gun at the victim and stole his truck.

Police said Jackson served nearly nine years in prison for robbery and was just released in August. The officers involved have been placed on administrative duty during the investigation.