A 24-year-old fugitive, Louivens Ceus, was fatally shot early Sunday after allegedly ramming a Haines City Police vehicle and driving directly toward an officer during a traffic stop.
Police say the incident began around 2:24 a.m. when Officer Joseph Elam attempted to stop a pickup truck with no license plate and dark window tinting. The truck, later confirmed stolen and spray-painted black, initially pulled over before suddenly accelerating toward Officer Ryan Hamilton, who then fired multiple shots in response.
Both officers were uninjured and have been placed on administrative leave pending investigation.
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Authorities later discovered that Ceus was a wanted fugitive on probation for domestic violence battery by strangulation and had prior offenses, including a 2021 hit-and-run. Police also found a meth pipe, cannabis, and a stolen medical marijuana card inside the truck.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the officer’s actions were in self-defense, emphasizing that Ceus’s decision to drive at police “made the determination for Officer Hamilton to shoot.”
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