A man in Florida was killed in a tense shootout with police after stabbing the mother of this three children and stealing his brother’s assault rifle, authorities said.

Police in Tampa responded to a home in Ybor City on Monday around 5.00pm after receiving a reports that a woman was stabbed.

They arrived to find a woman suffering from multiple stab wounds. She was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

Investigators quickly identified the suspect as the father of the victim’s three children.

‘He had stabbed her in front of the children, who are between the ages of 2 and 6,’ Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said at a press conference on Monday night.

Police have not yet named the suspect, and have only identified him as a 33-year-old male.

The suspect then loaded his three children into an SUV. He proceeded to drive to his brother’s house, drop off the children, and steal an AK-47, police said.

About 40 minutes later, police caught up with the fleeing attacker at a busy intersection in Tampa.

‘Our officers spotted the suspect’s vehicle at 5.40pm near Dale Mabry (Highway) and Spruce Street,’ Chief Bercaw said. The officers tried to pull the suspect over, but

Eight minutes later, the suspect crashed into another driver and began firing the assault rifle at pursuing police.

‘Multiple officers returned fire, striking and killing the suspect,’ Bercaw said.

The police chief did not clarify how many officers returned fire at the suspect. He confirmed they were placed on paid administrative leave as a use-of-force investigation.

No officers were injured in the gunfight.

Chief Bercaw praised the officer’s actions, and said he was confident the responding officers would be cleared of any wrongdoing.

‘Let me be clear – this suspect was a public menace and a deadly threat to our community. He had no regard for human life,’ Chief Bercaw said. ‘No one should have to witness the chaos that the suspect caused our community.’

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