Fort Pierce - Thursday December 28, 2023: The suspect in the Tuesday exchange of gunfire with a Fort Pierce (FPPD) police officer has been identified as as 25-year-old D'marcus Rhynes.
It happened the day after Christmas, on December 26th. Fort Pierce (FPPD) police officers responded to a reported larceny at the Cumberland Farms located at 975 Seaway Drive at 8:27 a.m.
According to a release from the FPPD, one of the responding officers saw a person matching the description of the suspect walking west on Seaway Drive near Museum Pointe Park. The officer attempted to stop the suspect.
Then, at 9:09 a.m., witnesses reported seeing the suspect fire multiple shots at the officer as he exited his patrol vehicle.
The officer and the suspect went on to exchange fire several times, and the suspect was wounded. He was transported to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in stable condition. The officer was not struck during the exchange of gunfire.
Rhynes now faces charges of attempted homicide or first-degree premeditated murder, larceny, possession of a weapon or ammunition by a felon and resisting an officer with violence.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating this officer-involved shooting, which is standard procedure in these cases. The Fort Pierce Police Department is handling the criminal investigation.
The name of the officer has not been released.