The multistate crime spree of Blake Edward Fitzgerald and his girlfriend Brittany Nicole Harper, which consisted of multiple counts of kidnapping, armed burglary and theft, came to an end on at 12:30 a.m. on Friday in Milton during an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement.
While Fitzgerald, 30, was fatally injured during an exchange of gunfire with deputies with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Harper, also age 30, was transported to a SacredHeartHospital, Pensacola, with injuries following the incident. The shooting took place near the intersection of Garcon Point Road and Saragon Lane. When asked during a Friday morning press conference in reference to reports regarding of Harper being used as ‘shield’ by Fitzgerald during the incident, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan replied “yes.”
The Missouri couple were attempting to enter a nearby residence in the area at the time of the incident following a pursuit from law enforcement. Morgan said the couple, which are suspected for crimes in Missouri, Georgia and Alabama have no connections to the area.
Morgan said there is an uncorroborated statement stating the couple were making their way to Panama City in order to get married. However with the investigation still ongoing, Morgan could neither confirm nor deny the statement was true.
Sheriff Morgan reported the following timeline during the press conference.
Thursday night 7:56 p.m.
ECSO dispatch received a phone call regarding an armed robbery from Famous Footwear at the UniversityTownPlaza on North Davis Highway in Pensacola. Witnesses told deputies a white male and female walked into the store and began shopping. The male suspect then walked up to the sales counter, pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money, Morgan said. While the male was dealing with the clerk, the female suspect continues to shop for shoes and other items.
Thursday Night 9:44 p.m.
An ECSO deputy reported seeing the suspect’s vehicle on PensacolaBeach matching the description from the witnesses at Famous Footwear incident. Deputies pursued the vehicle as it headed toward Gulf Breeze. Morgan said the suspect vehicle then re-entered EscambiaCounty by going over the ThreeMileBridge and east on Gregory Street and traveling northbound onto Interstate 1-10.
Thursday Night 9:52 p.m.
The suspect vehicle exited Interstate 1-10 onto Brent Lane and traveled east on Bayou Boulevard. Deputies would lose sight of the vehicle after it turned eastbound on 12th Avenue. Both ECSO and the Pensacola Police Department continue their search for the vehicle.
Thursday 10:16 p.m.
The suspect vehicle is spotted traveling south on Firestone Boulevard, authorities located the abandoned vehicle in a residential neighborhood along Connell Drive. With the suspects on foot, multiple law enforcement agencies including the Gulf Breeze Police Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission join in searching the area. Morgan said residential homes were searched and witnesses gave descriptions of the suspects to law enforcement.
Friday 12:25 a.m.
ECSO deputies were advised residents at a home on Whitney Drive were taken hostage inside their home by the suspects. Deputies were advised the suspects had stolen their red truck. A short amount of time later, the truck was located I-10 heading east towards Santa RosaCounty. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol were advised of the developments.
A report from the Pensacola Police Department detailed the events which occurred at the Gunnell household, where the couple held a family of three hostage and temporarily sought refuge from law enforcement.
Ian Gunnell said he was home with his wife April and their child when he heard his dogs began barking at the back door of the residence. When Gunnell went to see what the dogs were barking at, he saw the male suspect at the door with a gun and forcibly made his way in with a female suspect.
At gun point, Gunnell said the white male suspect order the family into one room, took possession of their cell phones and did not allow them to leave the residence. The couple held the family captive for two hours the report said. The captives added, the male wanted to leave the house earlier in the family’s pickup truck, but the female suspect said she had hurt herself when jumping over a fence. The couple also knew law enforcement was in the area searching for them. The Gunnell family told police, the couple seemed to be working together.
According to a report from CNN, Ian and his wife said the suspects used their phones to contact their relatives in order to say goodbye.
"They were under no illusion," Ian Gunnell told CNN affiliate WIAT on Friday. "They were in a bad place and they knew things were going to go bad."
Friday 12:41 a.m.
The truck was spotted exiting I-10 heading south on Garcon Point Road and turned west on Saragon Lane.
Law enforcement units blocked off this entire area to set up a perimeter and an armed standoff ensued for at least 15 minutes, Morgan said.
“The suspects refused to surrender,” he said. “They then attempted to exit the vehicle and enter an occupied dwelling.”
Friday 12:52 a.m.
ECSO units report shots had been fired and Fitzgerald had been pronounced dead at the scene while Harper was wounded. Morgan said the ECSO deputies were the only law enforcement agency at the scene to exchange fire with the male suspect. No deputies or bystanders were injured in the incident. Neither Morgan or State Attorney Bill Eddins would comment whether Harper was armed or even exchanged fire in the incident, due to the ongoing investigation.
Following the incident:
During Friday’s press conference, Eddins said Harper is in the process of being charged with home invasion robbery, false imprisonment and grand theft auto. Although he could not confirm at the time, Eddins believes Harper endured injuries to her leg and ankle. When asked by reporters, Eddins said she was conscious while being placed under the surveillance of armed guards at SacredHeartHospital. Harper has since been transported to the Escambia County Jail.
The Escambia County Jail website states Harper is also facing an additional charge of robbery.
She could also be facing additional charges in other alleged crimes which took place in Escambia and Okaloosa Counties prior to Thursday night’s incident. Eddins said his office is looking into a previous robbery which took place at Alvin’s Island in Destin and another robbery at a Piggly Wiggly location in north EscambiaCounty.
“Those matters will remain under investigation and it will be necessary to gather additional information,” Eddins said. “We have some conflicting evidence as it relates to the Piggly Wiggly matter in North Escambia.”
Eddins refused to further comment on the conflicting evidence at this point in the investigation.
“The bond in (Harper’s) case will be so much that she will remain in jail,” Eddins said. “As a result we are going to be very particular and very methodical in investigating the other instances.”
While six ECSO deputies are currently on administrative leave at this time due to their involvement in the shooting, Morgan stressed having the deputies on leave is not indicative of guilt but only following department procedure as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducts their investigation.
“I think (the deputies) responded entirely appropriate,” Morgan said standing behind the action of the deputies.
With the upcoming prosecution of Harper, Eddins told the media he intends to use information, evidence and testimonies from the suspect’s out-of-state crimes.
Unless federal agencies get involved, Eddins anticipates keeping the suspect in the area for prosecution following the investigation. A representative from the state attorney’s office said Harper’s arraignment has been scheduled for February 26 at 9 a.m. in Pensacola.
According to a press release from the United States Marshals Office, the couple’s crime spree started January 31st in Tuscaloosa, Alabama when the couple allegedly kidnapped a hotel clerk, stole his car, drove to Vestavia Hills, Alabama. The couple allegedly released the hostage and abandoned the stolen car.
Law enforcement also believes Fitzgerald then entered a residential home while the family was present, displayed a handgun and stole the family’s Ford Edge in Vestavia Hills, forcing the wife to go with him in the stolen vehicle against her will. The woman was later released unharmed in Birmingham, Alabama.
On the following Monday, the couple allegedly robbed a convenience store in Perry, Georgia, also kidnapping and later releasing a clerk from the store.
During the press conference, Morgan commented on the couple being deemed a modern day Bonnie and Clyde.
While the couple’s story could be glamorized for use in television or film, Morgan said giving the couple the ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ title could encourage future criminal acts.
“If I had my way, I would wipe their existence from all social media and everything else… we would not do any glamorization of this because they are only influencing young people,” Morgan said. “Let’s also remember Bonnie and Clyde were a couple of thugs, too.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Sheriff: Man uses girlfriend as a shield during shootout