2:02 P.M. WEDNESDAY UPDATE
During a press conference, Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett identified the deputy who was shot as Troy Anderson, who returned to TCSO as a deputy six months ago. Padgett added that Deputy Anderson was alone when he was shot Tuesday night and will undergo reconstructive surgery soon. The sheriff said that the suspect was pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
Dixie County Sheriff Darby Butler told reporters that around 7:20 a.m. Wednesday, deputies were called to a residence near the north end of Dixie County after a person called about the shooting of an intruder. The homeowner exchanged gunfire with the suspect after the intruder tried to enter their home. Located outside the home was the deceased suspect and also multiple guns.
The homeowner will be released later Wednesday from the hospital after minor injuries from the gunfight, Sheriff Butler said.
FDLE Special Agent in Charge Mark Perez said that the preliminary investigation from FDLE shows that the roadside shooting and the attempted home instruction were committed by the same person.
11:44 A.M. WEDNESDAY UPDATE
ABC 27 has been told that the deputy is in stable condition at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla.
A press conference will be held today at 2 p.m. ABC 27 will have a live stream of the press conference on our website, Facebook and streaming services.
9:45 A.M. WEDNESDAY UPDATE
FDLE canceled the Blue Alert at 9:34 a.m. Wednesday morning and confirmed to ABC 27 that the suspect is "no longer at large." No further updates were given.
9 A.M. WEDNESDAY UPDATE
A press conference has been scheduled for noon on Wednesday to give an update regarding the shooting of a Taylor County Sheriff's Office deputy and the ongoing manhunt for the suspect, Gregory Ryan Miedema.
The scene where the shooting happened has been cleared as of 9 a.m. Wednesday.
ABC 27 ON SCENE | @BrianJacksonTV is at the scene where a Taylor County Sheriff's Office deputy was shot last night. Currently, there is a manhunt for the suspect Gregory Ryan Miedema.
— ABC 27 (@abc27) February 23, 2022
READ MORE: https://t.co/m6OjZJT5a4 pic.twitter.com/GeSUL3Y4id
ORIGINAL STORY
A spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol says that a Taylor County Sheriff's deputy was shot Tuesday night.
The deputy sustained serious injuries and was airlifted from the scene at US 19 and Deer Run Road, south of Salem.
A Florida Blue Alert has been issued for the suspect, Gregory Ryan Miedema. Authorities released photos of him Tuesday night.
A Blue Alert is issued if a law enforcement officer is seriously injured, killed by a subject, or becomes missing while in the line of duty under circumstances causing concern for the law enforcement officer's safety.
Miedema, a white 33-year-old male, was last seen in Perry.
He is listed at 5-foot-8, 165 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
He may be traveling in a 2000 gold Chrysler Sebring with a Florida License plate tag Y78TKU. The vehicle has a dark-colored convertible top.
If you see Miedema, law enforcement officials say do not approach him.
No other details about the deputy or their injuries have been released at this time.
If you see him, authorities say to not approach him, but instead call 911.
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has Miedema on its sex offender registry.
According to a prior press release, "Miedema was convicted in 2011 while serving the in the U.S. Army on one count of Lewd or Lascivious Battery, Intercourse with a Victim 12 to 15 Years Old and one count of Possession of Child Pornography. He was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison followed by two months of probation."
