UPDATE: The shootee is 17-year-old Andre Chowtie. He's being transferred to juvie today and will be charged with auto theft, reckless driving, and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, police say.
The area of the New Times office has been a hotbed of activity for the Fort Lauderdale cops recently, as one of the department's officers was arrested in a drug bust on the south side of our building last month and cops shot a guy on the north side of our building yesterday evening.
The latter kept us at work a few extra minutes yesterday, as a Fort Lauderdale cop shot a car-thief suspect around 5 p.m. yesterday.
He's expected to be OK, but if anyone saw the helicopter, cop cars, and yellow tape around our office, we assure you, it wasn't us.
According to Fort Lauderdale Police Detective Travis Mandell, the cops got a "Lo-Jack" notification that a stolen car was lingering around NW Seventh Avenue and West Sunrise Boulevard -- west of Andrews Avenue.
Cops responding to the call found the car near a gas station, at which point one of the three guys in the car bailed.
That man was "quickly detained," Mandell says, and the remaining two men in the car got back on the road.
Cops in unmarked vehicles saw the driver crash into a parking meter on NE Fourth Street just east of Andrews Avenue -- also known as the entrance to the New Times office -- and officers attempted to stop the vehicle.
According to Mandell, the driver of the stolen car "accelerated towards the officers" and an officer shot at the driver in defense of himself and his fellow officers.
After a short drive down NE Fourth Street, the driver voluntarily came to a stop just west of NE Third Avenue.
Mandell says that responding officers applied first aid to the suspect and that he was eventually transferred to the Broward General Medical Center.
According to Mandell, the suspect -- whose name has not been released -- was listed in stable condition as of around 10 p.m. last night, and he's expected to recover.
We'd also like to recommend that everyone not allegedly commit crimes near our office.
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