MICANOPY, Fla. – A man who fired at a state trooper and later died Saturday afternoon along a north Florida highway claimed connection to the terrorist group ISIS, according to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said Earl Jackson fired several rounds from a handgun at a Florida Highway Patrol trooper who had stopped along Interstate 75 to help a stranded motorist. Jackson fired the shots while fleeing into the woods, deputies said.
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I-75 near Micanopy was shut down in both directions for hours Saturday as authorities searched for the suspect.
As they searched, deputies holding perimeter positions heard random gunfire until Jackson was located. Gunfire was also heard as a police helicopter circled the area. Due to the close proximity of the gunfire to the Interstate, in the interest of safety to the motoring public, the Interstate remained closed in both directions.
When Jackson was finally located and confronted, he made several statements in regards to being associated with the terrorist organization ISIS. Gunfire was exchanged between Jackson and Alachua County deputies. Jackson was actually held in a prone position by one of the deputies on scene so that law enforcement could approach & check for possible explosive devices. During this check, it was found that Jackson was dead. An autopsy will be conducted at which time a cause of death will be determined.
Once the scene was secured and Jackson was found not to be in possession of any explosive devices, attention turned to his vehicle. The vehicle was still parked in the emergency lane on the Interstate. Due to the ISIS comments, explosive detection K-9's were brought in to insure the car was safe. During this time, the dogs hit on a locked box in the trunk of the vehicle. Alachua County Sheriff's Office Bomb Team members responded and found that the package contained a firearm.
No ISIS connection has been confirmed and the FBI is investigating these statements further.
Once all steps were taken to insure safe public passage, the Interstate was reopened. The Alachua County Sheriff's Office is cooperating with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in the investigation into the incident.
Sgt. Tracy Hisler-Pace of FHP said the trooper who initially encountered the suspect was not injured.