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

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 recoverable injuries; Rountree said Dalton’s ballistic vest prevented a life-threatening wound. Deputy Dalton was recognized by the council.

Captain Rountree described how multiple agencies formed a perimeter and conducted a manhunt. He said witnesses later spotted the suspect near a property on County Road 795, roughly 1.6 miles outside the established perimeter near Suwannee Pine. Two Live Oak officers confronted the suspect there; the suspect was shot and later died, according to comments at the meeting.

The council and police department presented departmental awards to several Live Oak officers for their roles in the response: Officer Andrew Cook, Officer Abilio Alvarez, Sergeant Gerald Butler III, Sergeant Mark Pierce and Officer Brandy Harden. The city noted specific actions: Cook and Alvarez moved forward under fire to check the suspect vehicle; Butler directed search efforts and maintained radio communications while under fire; Pierce and Officer Harden engaged the suspect at close range, handcuffed the suspect and rendered first aid. Officer Harden received the department’s highest nonposthumous honor, including a medal and a certificate, the city said.

Two residents were also commended. Joseph Rainey (listed in the meeting record as a resident and city citizen-recognition recipient) and Tyler Noble were recognized for notifying police after seeing a person who matched the suspect description near a property referenced as Suwannee Pine on County Road 795. The proclamation presented by the council thanked them for alerting officers and helping lead to the suspect’s location.

The council’s recognition noted participation or assistance from multiple agencies, read at the meeting as including the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), FDLE crime labs, Florida Highway Patrol, Live Oak Police Department, Lake City Police Department, Suwannee County Fire Rescue, Suwannee County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Marshals Service (Middle District of Florida) and the Live Oak Fire Department.

The proclamation text read at the meeting stated, in part, that the Live Oak City Council, mayor and city manager "do hereby recognize, commend and thank" the named individuals and agencies for actions that protected citizens. The council presented certificates and medals during the recognition item.

Votes at a glance - Approval of the agenda (with deletion of agenda item 7.b. to be carried to next month): motion moved and seconded during the meeting; council approved the agenda. (Motion mover/second not specified in the meeting record.) - Approval of the March 11 regular meeting minutes: motion moved, seconded and approved. (Motion mover/second not specified in the meeting record.)

Details and clarifications from the meeting record - Incident date and time: Feb. 7, 2025, about 03:30 hours, per remarks at the meeting. - Crash location: North U.S. Highway 90 near 120 Ninth Street (per meeting comments). - Follow-up sighting location: property near County Road 795 / Suwannee Pine, cited at the meeting as approximately 1.6 miles outside the perimeter. - Injuries: Deputy Justin Dalton was struck once in the chest and once in the foot; the meeting noted his ballistic vest prevented a grave injury. - Awards presented: chief's certificates of commendation to Officers Andrew Cook and Abilio Alvarez, Sergeant Gerald Butler III, Sergeant Mark Pierce; Officer Brandy Harden received the department’s highest nonposthumous award including a medal and certificate. Two residents, Joseph Rainey and Tyler Noble, received citizen recognition awards.

What the meeting record does not specify - Exact vote tallies or the names of councilmembers who moved or seconded the administrative motions to approve the agenda and minutes were not recorded in the transcript excerpt provided. - Any disciplinary reviews, internal investigations, or subsequent operational changes tied to the incident were not discussed in the excerpt.

The council’s recognition item lasted through several presentations and public acknowledgments and concluded with awards and photos for the officers and citizens the city credited with helping end a dangerous episode in Suwannee County.