A man, whose last known address is in Pasco County, is on the run in the shooting of a deputy after a traffic stop. The deputy survived his wounds.
By DUANE BOURNE
Published October 11, 2003
BUSHNELL - Authorities are looking for a 33-year-old-man who is accused of leading a Sumter sheriff's deputy on a pursuit through a secluded community, south of Bushnell, and shooting him.
Rian Ray Green is wanted on first-degree attempted murder charges after he was accused of shooting Deputy Edward Fritz, 24, following a routine traffic stop, said Capt. Gary Brannen of the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities were able to identify Green, whose last known address was in Dade City in Pasco County, using Department of Motor Vehicle records and after witnesses identified him as the man who barreled through their neighborhood in an attempt to avoid capture. He remained at large late Friday.
Meanwhile, Fritz was released Friday from Orlando Regional Medical Center after being shot at least twice, Brannen said.
The incident began about 7:45 p.m. Thursday when Fritz, a rookie deputy, spotted a black Chevrolet Camaro without a license plate and a burned out tail light traveling on County Road 683, Brannen said.
As Fritz attempted to stop the motorist, the car drove away at a high speed, Brannen said.
Fritz pursued, but the chase ended when Green crashed into a wooded area on SW 115th Lane in Croom-A-Coochee, an unincorporated community south of Bushnell, said Brannen.
Green then ran through trees and bushes where he either fell or Fritz pushed him to the ground, said Brannen.
"Fritz was beginning to handcuff him when he pulled out a gun and started shooting," said Brannen. He said Fritz was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time.
Although details of the shooting remained sketchy Friday afternoon, Brannen said witnesses in the area heard between two and eight shots being fired.
Five of those bullets struck Fritz, including one that traveled through his right arm and into his upper chest. Fritz did not return fire, Brannen said.
Green then leaped to his feet and headed toward a house, where he allegedly tried to steal a car.
"He actually got into the car and was moving when he hit a tree stump and ran again," said Brannen.
The three unidentified people, who witnessed him stealing the car, were able to identify Green, who is 6 feet tall and was wearing a camouflage T-shirt and blue jean shorts.
Shortly afterward, law enforcement officers from a five-county area, hearing the officer's distress call, descended on Croom-A-Coochee.
At one point, authorities thought they had cornered Green in a densely wooded area. However, police dog and helicopter units didn't find him, Brannen said.
"He just got through our perimeter," said Brannen.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the Sumter County Sheriff's Office at (352) 793-2612 or the anonymous telephone line at (800) 423-8477.
- Duane Bourne can be reached at 352 754-6114. Send e-mail to dbourne@sptimes.com
