Former Marine accused of killing Florida cop captured after five-day manhunt
The former Marine who allegedly shot and killed a Florida police officer was taken into custody Tuesday after a massive statewide manhunt.
Patrick McDowell, 35, was captured in north Florida Tuesday and taken into custody near a concession stand at Kirsten Higginbotham Sports Complex in Callahan, covered in blood and without shoes, according to local reports.
A K-9 followed McDowell into the building and he eventually surrendered, according to News4Jax.
Florida deputy shot during traffic stop dies two days later
He was treated for a dog bite wound and had also sustained two gunshot wounds from a previous shootout with police, and taken to UF Health Jacksonville.
“We got our man. It’s a great day in Nassau County,” Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said during a press conference.
Moyers’ handcuffs were used to restrain McDowell.
McDowell’s capture marks the end of a five-day manhunt after he allegedly shot Nassau County Sheriff’s Deputy Joshua Moyers Friday morning when the officer executed a traffic stop of a minivan that had been reported stolen.
Moyers, 29, died Sunday from his injuries after being shot once in the face and once in the back when he pulled McDowell over. McDowell then allegedly sped over the train tracks before eventually dumping the van and his female passenger, who identified him to police.
McDowell’s father said his son was suffering from PTSD after returning from a tour in Iraq and had been struggling with a drug addiction.
“At first, he was motivated to deal with his demons and started a family,” his father, Richard, said in a statement to First Coast News. “As time progressed, he slipped into a darker place. He had trouble with seizures, pain management, and sleep patterns. He turned to drugs and quit going to his VA appointments.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Richard McDowell said, Patrick’s progress was upended and he returned to stealing, ending up in a Georgia jail for a year.
The funeral service for Moyers will be held at Callahan First Baptist Church on Saturday, his police department announced Tuesday.
