A man is in the hospital at Orlando Regional Medical Center after a traffic stop led to a pursuit and then a shootout with deputies Thursday afternoon in Winter Park.

Christian Joy, 21, from Altamonte Springs, is in critical condition following the shooting. Deputies said they were conducting a proactive burglary operation because of a recent string of residential burglaries in the East Altamonte area.

Around 2:30 p.m., deputies attempted to stop a suspicious vehicle in the area of State Road 436 and Wymore Road in Altamonte Springs. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Joy, failed to yield and traveled several more miles, ramming into another vehicle and an unmarked patrol car.

Deputies said they eventually backed off the pursuit on the ground and had the sheriff's office's helicopter monitor the area.

Joy continued along SR-436 before he crashed into another vehicle. Deputies said Joy got out of the car and opened fire at the deputies.

Deputies returned fire. One deputy was shot.

According to investigators, a female passenger was also in the car with Joy. The woman got out and ran, but deputies tracked her down. She sustained minor injuries.

Deputies were able to take Joy and the female into custody following the shootout.


2012 booking photo of Christian Joy. (Seminole County Sheriff's Office)

The injured deputy, Brian Mahan, was shot in the ankle. He was treated and released from an area hospital. Another deputy, who has not been named, also fired at Joy.

"This is obviously an extremely dangerous situation," Seminole County Chief Deputy Dennis Lemma said. "The men and women in uniform at all of our organizations are putting themselves in harm's way, and you think about these innocent bystanders."

The shootout happened during the middle of rush-hour traffic along a very busy roadway.

"The amount of people who commute up and down (State Road) 436 — potentially putting themselves in harm's way — that's one of the reasons why we needed to take every means necessary in order to gain control of this particular situation and do it in a safe manner," Lemma said.

The intersection of Aloma Avenue and State Road 436 was closed for hours as investigators combed for evidence and picked up shell casings that were littered across the street.

"We're going to capitalize on all the evidence that is here right now," said Danny Banks, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement special agent who is in charge of the investigation. "There are cartridge cases on the ground, there are witnesses, there are potential videos out there — all of which we will take into account as a part of FDLE's investigation."

The Orange County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident as an attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. Both suspects are in custody and there are no outstanding suspects.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is and investigating, which is standard procedure any time there is an officer-involved shooting.