A standoff Thursday night shut down an Orlando roadway for hours after an armed robbery suspect refused to come out of his car, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
- Leslie Gopher, 37, is accused of robbing a Circle K
- Part of University Boulevard was shut down after Gopher refused to come out of his vehicle
- Gopher surrendered 2 hours later and was arrested
Leslie Gopher, 37, is accused of robbing a Circle K convenience store at 4600 Alafaya Trail at about 10:24 p.m.
According to police, the store clerk took down the getaway car's license plate and passed it to law enforcement.
Responding deputies said they spotted the suspect’s vehicle going west on University Boulevard. Deputies tried to stop Gopher, but he took off.
Deputies said they performed a PIT maneuver near the intersection of University Boulevard and Quenita Drive, causing the vehicle to stop.
Gopher refused to come out of his vehicle, deputies said. Hostage negotiators were brought in and talked to Gopher for nearly two hours.
Part of University Boulevard was shut down while negotiators tried to get Gopher to come out of his vehicle.
Negotiators were finally able to talk him out of the vehicle and he surrendered. Deputies said they found two weapons inside the vehicle.
Gopher was arrested and charged with armed robbery and fleeing a law enforcement officer. He has a lengthy criminal record going back to 2006, when he served time for aggravated assault and robbery with a deadly weapon.
Gopher was taken to the Orange County Jail, where he faces almost two dozen charges, including aggravated assault and robbery with a firearm.
No injuries were reported at the Circle K.
Due to light traffic, no other motorists were seriously affected by the University Boulevard closure, the Sheriff’s Office said.