Lauderdale police fire shots at abduction suspect before his capture

sun-sentinel.com
Posted February 14 2005, 12:27 PM EST

FORT LAUDERDALE – Police said they shot at a kidnap suspect early Monday after the suspect tried to back over a cop. Police said the officer missed, but the gunman was injured after a brief chase and car crash.

Here's what Sgt. Alfred Lewers Jr. said happened beginning around 10:45 p.m. Sunday at a 7-Eleven store on U.S. 441/State Road 7 at Northwest Sixth Street:

An abduction was reported when Jason Clay Willis, 26, of Lauderdale Lakes, passed a note to a shopper at the store, saying he had been abducted and his car stolen. Plantation Police were alerted and a bulletin issued.

Two hours later, Willis told police he was able to flee the vehicle at a Freeze convenience store, 201 Northwest Sixth St. He used a nearby pay phone to call Fort Lauderdale Police. He said he had been abducted by Onterrious V. Tillman, 33, also of Lauderdale Lakes, who had taken Willis' 1998 Dodge Intrepid, and was planning to commit a robbery in the area. Willis said Tillman was armed with a gun and had fired it at least once earlier in the night.

Officer Steve Scelfo, meanwhile, located suspect Tillman and the car just north of Northwest Sixth Street on Powerline Road. A backup K-9 Officer and his dog was called in as a backup. Scelfo told Tillman he was under arrest. Instead, the suspect jumped in the Dodge and began backing up towards Scelfo. Police said an unspecified weapon was also seen. Several shots were fired by the backup officer, who was not immediately identified. Tillman was not struck by any of the bullets, Liewers said.

Tillman then fled north on Powerline Road with officers in pursuit. He crashed the Dodge in the median on the 4500 block of Powerline Road. He was captured while trying to flee the car, Liewers said.

Tillman was treated at Broward General Medical Center for injuries he sustained during his capture and arrest, Liewers said.

Sgt. Liewers said Tillman has an extensive criminal history including prior arrests for kidnapping, armed robbery and carjacking. He was charged on Monday with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing and eluding and resisting arrest.

Anyone with information on the case or the incidents that occurred earlier in Plantation, Lauderhill or Lauderdale Lakes should contact Detective David Jenkins at 954-828-5263 or the Fort Lauderdale Police Department's confidential investigations hotline at 954-828-5511.