Shotgun Missing From Stolen Police Cruiser
08-21-03 - WFTV.com
Altamonte Springs, FL -- A stolen police cruiser is back in the hands of Altamonte Springs Police. But the police-issued shotgun that was inside is gone. The cruiser was stolen early Wednesday morning outside the Chatham Harbour Apartments in Altamonte Springs.
It was found hours later abandoned near Nowell Street and Arundel Drive in Pine Hills. The car seemed to be intact, but when police took their first look inside they immediately noticed the shotgun was missing.
Right now, police are working on trying to determine possible suspects. They’ve towed the car back to Altamonte to check for fingerprints and other evidence.
They’re glad to have the car back, but their main concern right now is the officer’s missing shotgun.
"I think they got a lot of guts; I can say that," comments neighbor Charles Burke.
He woke up this morning to find quite a commotion outside his door.
"Was gonna do some walking and they wouldn’t allow me to go, said they were doing an investigation. Then I saw the word ‘Altamonte Springs’ and realized it was the stolen car I’d seen on the news earlier," explains Burke.
That’s exactly how Orange Country deputies found the car. One of Charles’ neighbors called it in on her way to work. A bloodhound searched for a scent. Officers took pictures and fingerprints and checked to see what was missing.
"Of course, any time a weapon gets on the street, especially in the hands of a criminal, that’s a concern," comments Eric Wells, Altamonte Springs Police Department.
The officer’s shotgun is gone. So is his laptop computer. The irony is, all of this started when he tried to stop a car break-in.
"He stopped, got out of his patrol car, attempted to approach the subject and the subject took off running, so the officer took flight after him," explains Wells.
They ran through Chatham Harbor Apartments, but he never caught him. When he got back, his car was gone.
"You got to stop the crime, catch the bad guy. So as far as instinct is concerned, yeah, you’re just gonna take off and chase the subject," says Wells.
Police say the officer, Kevin Acosta, didn’t break any policies and there won’t be any action against him.
As for the missing shotgun and computer, the city-county auto theft team is running through a database of known car thieves to see if they can come up with a suspect. Police say the laptop does not contain sensitive information.