Tampa Cop Killer Turns Self In

[BridgeTroll]

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jul/02/suspect-tampa-police-shooting-death-surrenders/

Dontae Morris, suspect in Tampa police shooting death, arrested
TBO.com

An intense, four-day manhunt ended late Friday when the man wanted in the fatal shooting of two Tampa police officers was arrested. Police said he also will face a murder charge in an unrelated May 18 slaying in Tampa.

Morris was scheduled to make his first court appearance this morning. He will be officially told what the charges are against him and if he is eligible for bail.

Police confirmed Dontae Rashawn Morris, 24, was taken into custody about 10 p.m., about 12 hours before the officers' funerals were slated to begin.

At a late-night press conference, a visibly relieved Tampa police Chief Jane Castor and Mayor Pam Iorio said the city is safer and that they hope the arrest brings closure to the community, especially the families of Officers David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab.

"It is so important to bring closure to this before the funeral," Iorio said.

Morris acted nervous when placed under arrest, Castor said.

"I would like to ask him why he would kill two fine men in cold blood, but frankly I don't think the answer would give me any peace," the chief said.

About 2 a.m., Morris, wearing a white inmate jumpsuit, was led from police headquarters to a patrol car for the trip to Orient Road Jail. Several onlookers shouted at him, some calling him a "cop killer."

On Thursday, detectives began 30 hours of negotiations with one of Morris' associates, Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said. Those conversations led Morris to turn himself in, she said.

The man detectives interviewed will get the $100,000 reward offered for information leading to Morris' arrest, McElroy said.

Morris was arrested on charges of first-degree murder in the slayings Tuesday of Curtis and Kocab. The officers were killed after they tried to arrest Morris on a misdemeanor worthless check charges during a traffic stop, police said.

Morris also is being charged with murder in the May 18 slaying of Derek Anderson, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy announced early Saturday outside Tampa police headquarters. Anderson was shot in the back at the Johnson and Kenneth Court apartment complex while he was walking home with a backpack full of freshly laundered clothes.

The bullets fired into the officers matched the gun used to kill Anderson, according to police documents.

After learning Morris will be charged in Anderson's death, Anderson's cousin, Robert Gilcrist, said, "Thank God. Thank Jesus."

"I was hoping that he did turn himself in," Gilcrist said, "because we needed to know; we needed to see him. We needed to see him get justice served. You know we want closure. We want to find out why did he kill a good person, you know shot him in the back and killed him like he was an animal.

"To see him turn himself in alive, no one has killed him, it's great," Gilcrist said. "And I just really want to see his face you know and see if he has any remorse or if he's feeling anything. I just, I really need to see his face."

Morris also is a suspect in a fourth slaying in Hillsborough County.

Officers from more than 15 local, state and federal agencies had hunted Morris since the shooting early Tuesday in East Tampa.

Castor said she was surprised Morris turned himself in.

"I had a sinking feeling this was not going to end well," she said. "This all ended decently."

Also Friday, police arrested the woman they say was driving the red 1994 Toyota Camry stopped by Curtis just before he and Kocab were killed. Police said Morris was the Camry's passenger and that after the shooting, driver Cortnee Nicole Brantley drove from the scene while Morris ran.

Brantley, 22, was arrested about 10:30 p.m. She will face a federal charge for witnessing a felony and not reporting it, Castor said. As a handcuffed Brantley walked from a patrol car to booking at the jail, she wore a shirt with the words, "Loser Machine" across the front.

The federal warrant for Brantley's arrest was signed Friday.

When investigators returned to the Brandon area to interview one of her associates during a search for her, Brantley ran up the stairs into the associate's apartment. The investigators chased Brantley out the back door and arrested her, McElroy said.

Homicide investigators with Tampa police and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office made the arrest.

Police questioned Brantley for seven hours earlier this week but released her. No state statute covers the crime police said Brantley committed, and the federal process takes longer, McElroy said.

"We didn't believe she was a threat to the community, and our focus was Dontae Morris," McElroy said.

On Thursday, Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee confirmed that Morris is "a prime suspect" in the slaying of a 25-year-old Valrico man in June. Police also named Morris a suspect in a May 18 slaying at a Tampa apartment complex and said he may be involved in yet another homicide, also in Tampa.

Gee said Morris, who was released from state prison in April after serving two years on drug charges, is a suspect in the drug-related slaying of Harold Wright, 25, of Valrico.

After learning of the arrest, Wright's aunt, Claudette Michel, said, "Thank God! I feel safer."

As for what should happen to Morris now, Michel said, "He needs to pay for what he has done."

Since Tuesday's shooting, at least 200 officers searched for Morris at any given time, police said. Investigators followed nearly 400 leads, Castor said.

A woman answering the phone at the home of Morris' mother, Selecia Watson, hung up when called about the arrest.

Morris and Brantley were both taken to Orient Road Jail at about 2:15 a.m. Saturday. They wore handcuffs and leg chains as deputies led them into the central booking area.

Neither said a word.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Col. Jim Previtera, who directs the county's jail system, said Morris will be placed in Housing Unit 5, which is maximum security and in the same area as Humberto Delgado, accused of gunning down Tampa police Cpl. Mike Roberts in August.

Brantley will be placed in Housing Unit 6, which houses maximum security cells for women, Previtera said.

[BridgeTroll]

The officers were killed after they tried to arrest Morris on a misdemeanor worthless check charges during a traffic stop, police said.

Hmmm... killed while making a simple traffic stop.  This guy is also being charged with another murder and may be a suspect in many others...

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/suspect-in-tampa-police-killings-is-linked-to-three-other-murders-police/1106272