INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — Authorities have released information from a Friday night chase that started in Brevard County and ended with deadly gunfire in Indian River County, where a suspect in a pickup truck is said to have had an AR-15.

  • Name of the pickup truck driver not released
  • 2 deputies involved in shooting not hurt; on paid leave

As described by the Indian River County Sheriff's Office, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office was chasing a pickup truck in Cocoa on southbound Interstate 95 when it came to a rest stop between Palm Bay and Sebastian, as an adult and a 17-year-old juvenile fled from the vehicle at around 9:18 p.m..

The two people told authorities that the driver "had active arrest warrants and was considered armed and dangerous. They confirmed that the driver was in possession of an AR-15 rifle and a handgun," explained the Indian River County Sheriff's Office in a Facebook post.

The pickup truck entered Indian River County, where a deputy of that county in an unmarked patrol truck placed stop sticks at the north county line.

The pickup's tires and the tires of a flatbed trailer it was pulling struck the stop sticks, causing the tires to go flat. The pickup tried to make a wide turn on the median of I-95 at mile marker 152 (near County Road 512/Fellsmere Road exit) as a K-9 deputy used his patrol vehicle to block the pickup.

As the deputy in the unmarked patrol truck followed the pickup truck, the driver allegedly fired at that deputy and the K-9 deputy, stated authorities.

The two deputies returned fire, killing the driver, the Indian River Sheriff's Office stated.

The deputies and the K-9 were not injured during the shootout, stated the Sheriff's Office.

The man's identity has not been released until his family has been notified.

"The deceased had active arrest warrants from Brevard County for violation of probation and drug charges, indicating that he should be considered armed and dangerous. Since 1996, this career criminal has been arrested more than twenty times for felony charges and more than ten times for misdemeanors, racking up seven felony convictions," the Indian River County Sheriff's Office stated.

The driver's AR-15 and drugs were found at the scene, stated authorities.

The deputies involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave during the investigation of the incident, which is standard protocol explained authorities.