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Live Oak honors officers and two residents after Feb. 7 manhunt that left deputy wounded

2935877 · April 9, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The City of Live Oak recognized multiple law enforcement agencies, several officers and two residents at its April 8 council meeting for their roles in a Feb. 7 manhunt that followed a multi-county pursuit. A Suwannee County deputy was wounded; several Live Oak officers received commendations, and two residents were presented citizen recognition.

The City of Live Oak on April 8 formally recognized law enforcement agencies, police officers and two residents for actions during a Feb. 7, 2025 pursuit and manhunt that ended in Suwannee County.

The recognition came during item 3 of the council's regularly scheduled meeting. Mayor Frank Davis and city staff presented awards and certificates to members of the Live Oak Police Department and to representatives of cooperating agencies, and the council issued a proclamation commending citizens who alerted officers to the suspect’s whereabouts.

Why it matters: city officials said the coordinated response by multiple agencies reduced the risk to the public after a suspect in an earlier shooting was pursued into Suwannee County and exchanged gunfire with officers. The council’s recognition highlights local public-safety coordination across county and state lines.

Captain Jason Rountree, speaking on behalf of Live Oak Police Chief Keith Davis, summarized the events the city is recognizing. He said the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office received a request for assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol around 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 7. The pursuit ended when the suspect crashed on U.S. Highway 90 near 120 Ninth Street; the suspect fled the vehicle and engaged officers. Deputy Justin Dalton of the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office was struck by gunfire — once in the chest and once in the foot — and sustained serious but…

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