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Driver Identified After Shooting at Tallahassee Night Club

Duane Strong Jr.
Posted
and last updated

(May 30, 2014 6:35am )

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)--The man who died following a shooting and crash is identified.

Three officers are now on administrative leave. It's the second officer-involved shooting within a month.

It all happened early Thursday morning around 3.

Officers in the area of Cheeks Sports Bar on Tennessee Street heard shots being fired from behind the business.

When they went to check it out, police say they tried to make contact with the driver of a Dodge Charger in the area but he took off. Witnesses say the driver hit a parked car and then drove towards an officer at an exit.

That's when police say officers fired their weapons. A police vehicle hit the charger on White Drive to stop the car. The car then ran off the road and crashed.

The driver is identified as 18-year old Duane Erick Strong, Jr.

He died later at a hospital. Police say an autopsy will reveal his exact cause of death. Three officers involved Clay Fallis, Derek Hawthorne, and Kirk Watson are now on administrative leave.

"Obviously part of the administrative leave is to make sure they acted appropriately both legally and in policy," said Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo.

About two weeks, six officers were placed on administrative leave for an officer-involved shooting on May 12, where two robbery suspects were shot, one of them died. A grand jury cleared the officers of any wrong doing last week.

(May 29, 2014 - 5:41 A.M.)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) -- One person is dead after an early morning shooting outside of a Tallahassee nightclub.

It happened around 3 a.m. Thursday at the Cheeks nightclub at Tennessee Street and White Drive.

Officer David Northway with Tallahassee Police Department tells WTXL that officers were already at the club as part of routine patrol assignments. As customers were leaving, officers were among those that started to hear gunfire coming from the back parking lot. Officer Northway says more shots were then fired moments later.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene. At this time it's unclear whether that person was killed by the original gunfire or subsequent shots fired by police.

No other injuries were reported. The investigation is on going.

Stay with WTXL.tv and ABC2 on air for developments as they come in.

VIDEO

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(May 29, 2014 -- 3:30 A.M.)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Tallahassee Police are on the scene of an apparent crime at the Cheeks Nightclub located at Tennessee Street and White Drive.

Our crew on scene tells us there are at least 10 officers there who have now roped off the property with yellow crime scene tape.

Details are limited at this time. We're expected to meet shortly with Officer David Northway, Tallahassee Police Department's Public Information Officer, to get additional information.

Stay with WTXL.tv and WTXL Sunrise beginning at 5:00 a.m. for continuing coverage.