BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Nikolaos Henke, 47, of Merritt Island, was arrested after he allegedly fled a traffic stop and fired a handgun during a foot pursuit with officers, according to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.
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The pursuit began around 9:15 a.m. Saturday, when troopers responded to a report of a suspicious truck near State Route 528 and North Banana River Drive in Merritt Island, according to a news release.
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Officers said they arrived at the scene and began monitoring the unoccupied truck. While the officers returned to their patrol vehicle to check the license plate information, Hanke got into the vehicle and drove away.
Officers conducted a traffic stop and asked Henke for identification, but said Henke provided a false name.
While deputies were investigating the fake name, Henke fled and jumped into the Banana River to escape deputies, the statement said.
Deputies said Henke swam a short distance, then returned to shore and fled into the woods where he had pitched a tent.
Officers continued to chase Henke and told him to stop, but they heard a callback from Henke saying, “I have a gun,” and then a gunshot.
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Henke then ran out of the woods onto Route 528 and was arrested, authorities said.
Two officers sustained minor injuries during the arrest, but both were treated and released from a local hospital.
It was later determined that Henke provided a false name because he had an active warrant for his arrest for failure to appear in court for drunk driving, the release said.
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Henke is charged with aggravated assault on law enforcement with a firearm, driving on a suspended license with knowledge, resisting arrest without violence, false display of a dangerous weapon and providing a false name.
The sheriff's office announced Henke is being held in the Brevard County Detention Center on $32,000 bail.
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