A police department in Florida released body-camera footage of an officer-involved shooting over the weekend, in which a sheriff's deputy fatally shot a suspect after the man shot a police officer during a chase.
The chase that led to the deadly police-involved shooting was prompted after the gunman, later identified as 25-year-old Matthew Thomas of Holly Hill, ignored a traffic stop at about 4 p.m. at Nova and Spruce Creek road on Saturday and "took off fleeing recklessly at high speed," the department said.
Officers and a Volusia sheriff’s deputy joined in chasing Thomas, who was seen driving a green Lincoln sedan.
The deputy deployed stop sticks shortly before the suspect reached the area of Turnbull Street and Industrial Park Avenue in New Smyrna Beach. The suspect crashed his car outside a storage facility.
Police said Thomas bailed fled his vehicle and began firing multiple rounds at police, hitting Hunnefeld in the leg.
"Around 4:17 p.m., the officer was shot. Moments later, the suspect was shot by return fire," according to the police statement.
"The officers and deputies involved have been temporarily placed on administrative leave, as is standard," the office added.
Chitwood praised officers as "incredible people who risk their own safety to protect others."
"There are good men and women in uniform kissing their families goodbye every day and night not knowing what the coming hours might have in store for them," the sheriff added. "The very least we can do it say thank you and keep them in our prayers, always."
Chitwood said after visiting Hunnefeld, a former Marine, that he seemed to be "in good spirits" surrounded by his friends and family.
"Thank God he survived," the sheriff said. "I can’t tell you what a relief it is to see that as opposed to the unthinkable tragedies we have seen all too often all around this country," he added.