A Manatee County sheriff's deputy was shot in the arm during an exchange of gunfire that left a bank robbery suspect dead Monday, authorities said.
The shootout happened around noon near the intersection of State Road 70 and 33rd Street in Bradenton. It wasn't immediately clear whether the suspect was shot by deputies or killed himself, Sheriff Brad Steube said.
The deputy, Lt. Bob Mealy, 52. was shot in the right arm and is expected to fully recover.
According to authorities, the suspect walked into the Florida Bank at 3704 84th Ave. E around 11:30 a.m., displayed a gun and demanded money. He left in a white pickup truck.
Law enforcement responded to the scene, and Mealy spotted the suspect's truck. A chase followed, and deputies used stop sticks to flatten the truck's tires, authorities said.
After the truck stopped in the 5100 block of 33rd Street E, deputies approached the vehicle, and the suspect fired a shot that struck Mealy, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies returned fire, and multiple rounds were changed between the suspect and deputies.
A short time later, the suspect was found dead in the truck, the sheriff's office said. His identity has not been released.
"We had a few members of our SWAT team arrive with a ballistic shield," Steube said. "They approached the vehicle ... it was obvious the suspect was deceased. My guess would be a gunshot wound."
Steube said the person killed was also a suspect in other bank robberies. Money was found in the truck, but it had not been confirmed that it came from Monday's robbery.
Motorists were urged Monday afternoon to stay clear of the area. The Florida Highway Patrol said 33rd Street East north of State Road 70 was closed for several hours.