MARION COUNTY, Fla. – Deputies shot at an armed suspect on Friday evening following a car chase that began in Citrus County, according to the sheriff’s office.

A release from the sheriff’s office says that deputies tried to pull over an SUV near Hernando on suspicion that the driver had a felony warrant. However, the driver failed to stop, and a car chase ensued.

While deputies were able to use a tire deflation device to slow the vehicle, the driver managed to make their way along Highway 200 into Marion County, the release shows.

Marion County deputies joined in the pursuit, and law enforcement agents were eventually able to stop the SUV, which crashed into a power pole, deputies said.

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According to investigators, the suspect then got out of the car with a rifle in hand, causing the Citrus County deputies to shoot the suspect. That suspect was then taken to a medical facility for treatment.

“The suspect in this incident posed a significant threat to two communities today through his reckless actions. At the end of the day, the deputies on scene had only seconds to decide how to respond to protect every citizen in the area before the suspect decided to further endanger the lives of both law enforcement officers and civilians present,” said Col. Elena Vitt of the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. “This is yet another example of why having a great working relationship with all of our law enforcement partners is imperative. We joined forces and seamlessly protected those we swore an oath to serve.”

Citrus County deputies said that there is no threat to the public, though they asked that people avoid the area on Friday evening.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is set to investigate the officer-involved shooting along with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

No additional information has been provided at this time.

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