By Staff Report
PANAMA CITY — Bay County Sheriff’s Office has release body and dash camera footage from a Saturday incident that ended with an armed standoff at Port Panama City.
A BCSO lieutenant spotted a Jeep Cherokee wanted for an alleged shooting out of Washington County. The driver of the Jeep pointed a gun at him that had a laser on it, according to BCSO.
The lieutenant immediately put distance between him and the suspect’s vehicle and called for help. A pursuit then ensued, ending at a dead end at Port Panama City.
ORIGINAL STORY: 2 heavily armed, armored men arrested at Port PC after shooting, chase, standoff
Deputies took up tactical positions and began negotiations. The suspects eventually surrendered.
The incident began when the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at 12:36 a.m. from a man who said he had been shot. Shortly after, a second man called and said he also had been shot at multiple times, according to a press release from WCSO.
The press release states a 21-year-old man was traveling eastbound on State 20 in a 28-foot box truck and came to an abrupt stop when he saw a 2003 Jeep Cherokee parked in the middle of the intersection of State 20 and State 79 in Ebro.
Duane Storey, the driver of the Jeep, began firing rounds at the truck, the press release states.
In the second shooting incident, a Chipley resident traveling north on State 79 observed the Jeep parked in the middle of the intersection and thought it had broken down. As he approached the intersection, Storey also started firing at him, according to the WCSO.
Duane Lee Storey, 38, and Cody Sean Brelsford, 41, both of Colorado, were arrested at the port and are in the Bay County Jail. Deputies recovered hundreds of rounds of ammunition, several firearms and ballistic vests inside the suspects’ vehicle, WCSO said.
“This is a random act of violence,” Washington County Sheriff Kevin Crews said in the press release. “The suspects did not know either victim of the shooting.”
According to statements provided to WCSO investigators, Storey said, “It was time to go to war.”
“This was an extremely dangerous situation with heavily armed subjects. I’m proud of the way that deputies responded, risking their lives to protect our community,” Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said in the statement. “We continue to assist the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with this investigation.”
The driver of the box truck sustained a gunshot wound to his neck and was taken to a Bay County hospital for treatment. He is expected to make a full recovery, authorities said. The other victim in the shooting did not sustain injuries.
Both vehicles shot by the suspects were hit multiple times.
This article originally appeared on Washington County News: Body/dash camera footage released in chase that ended with Port Panama City standoff
Jim Saunders