Female Suspect in the Murder of Two Tampa Police Officers Caught; Male Supect Still at Large
TAMPA, Fla. (CBS/WTSP/AP) "We know they are armed and extremely dangerous," Tampa Police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said of the man and woman suspected of murdering two Tampa police officers Tuesday.
Now one of the suspects, the alleged driver Cortnee Brantley, has been taken into custody, according to CBS affiliate WTSP.
The early morning tragedy began with a routine traffic stop. At around 2:15 a.m., Dave Curtis and Jeff Kocab pulled over a Toyota Camry because of a non-visible license plate. Officer Curtis called for backup after running a background check on the male suspect, revealing he was wanted for writing fraudulent checks.
The two officers approached the passenger side of the car. Six minutes after the traffic stop, a witness called to say officers Curtis and Kocab had been shot. Authorities arrived to find them lying on the ground. Kocab and Curtis, both 31, were pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.
The suspects fled the scene, but it is known that the driver was female and the shooter was most likely the male passenger.
The incident has sparked a massive manhunt. Dozens of officers, helicopters, and even police dogs have begun an intensive search to find both the driver and the passenger of the suspected Camry.
About three hours earlier inside the gated complex, lawmen had located the maroon colored vehicle they believe was involved in the shootings.
Armored personnel carriers, ambulances and dozens of marked and unmarked units surrounded apartment 202.
Police took 22-year-old Cortnee Brantley into custody. She is not under arrest at this time, but police plan to question her about the shootings.
The second person of interest, 24-year-old Dontae Morris, is still at large. Authorities in Jacksonville say Morris has a seven-year history of cocaine arrests and prison time.
Officer David Curtis was a four year veteran with the department and was a father of four.
Officer Jeffrey Kocab was with the force for 14 months and is survived by his wife, who is nine months pregnant.
