Shooting

TAVARES, Fla.—A man who allegedly fired a shot at a Lake County Sheriff’s Office sergeant’s patrol vehicle early Thursday morning and fled the scene has been identified and arrested.

Shortly before 2:15 a.m. Thursday, the LCSO sergeant was patrolling the area of Wells Avenue in Tavares when he was flagged down by a citizen who told him a black male on a bike was rummaging through vehicles in the area. The sergeant canvassed the area and found two males and a female in front of the Peninsular Masonic Lodge, 1234 Wells Avenue. One of the men was on a e-bike, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The man on the e-bike, later identified as Norman Dywan Gunn, 35, took off in a southern direction behind the Dora Canal shopping plaza and the sergeant activated his blue lights and attempted a traffic stop. Gunn took evasive actions, partially crossing State Road 19/Duncan Drive, returned back to the plaza then headed further south into the rear of Prime Time Food Store, 1248 Wells Avenue. The business has been closed for several years. The sergeant yelled at Gunn to “stop” through his open window and Gunn reportedly yelled something like “I’m scared,” and continued to flee.

The sergeant was unable to follow path of the e-bike and believing Gunn went to the front of the store, he approached the corner of the store, and a shot was fired at his marked patrol vehicle, the affidavit states. The sergeant took a tactical position and held the scene while backup arrived.

The DYU C3 e-bike was found abandoned and LCSO CSI collected it for evidence. Deputies and LCSO’s Eagle One searched for Gunn and were assisted by Tavares Police Department but they were unable to find him. Gunn lives just .2 miles from the store where the shooting occurred.

The entire incident was recorded by the sergeant’s dash cam and the gunshot is “clearly audible, but not visually observed,” according to an LCSO detective investigating the case.

Detectives canvassed the area and a video from Circle K, 439 South Duncan Drive, showed a black male on the same e-bike arriving at the store at 1:18 a.m. The man was wearing a Checkers uniform shirt and purchased a cigar from the store. The detective recognized the man as Gunn, who works at Checkers, 480 East Burleigh Boulevard, Tavares. A witness, the same man with Gunn when the sergeant first arrived, told LCSO the man was possibly “Lion,” and gave detectives the exact location of Gunn’s home.

A warrant was issued for Gunn’s arrest for aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and fleeing and eluding. He was arrested Thursday afternoon and transported to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on no bond. Gunn’s neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, told Inside Lake he was arrested and taken into custody at Checkers, and deputies searched his home on Maplewood Street early Thursday evening.

This incident comes just 3.5 months after LCSO deputies were ambushed in unincorporated Eustis Aug. 2. Master Deputy Bradley Link was killed and Master Deputy Harold Howell and Deputy Stefano Gargano both suffered gunshot wounds and are still recovering. Julie Sulpizio has been charged with multiple crimes in that case and is facing the death penalty.