Lakeland Police received a call on November 22, 2011 at 11:27am in reference to an off-duty officer involved in a shooting at 5233 North Road 98. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered that off-duty Lakeland Police officer, Preston Chatmon, had returned to his apartment and found two males, later identified as Anthony Santiago (DOB 1/8/93) and his step-father Nelson Ivan Rodriguez (DOB 12/26/77) in his residence committing a burglary. The officer ordered the suspects to stop. The suspects, charged the officer at which time he fired one round striking Anthony Santiago in the leg. Both suspects ran from the apartment and the officer pursued them on foot, and both were taken into custody. Santiago was transported to LRMC with a non-life threatening injury. Nelson Rodriguez was transported to Lakeland Police Department where detectives are continuing their investigation. Santiago has been released from LRMC and is being interviewed by detectives. Charges are pending against Santiago and Rodriguez and will be released at a later time.
Officer Chatmon, 24, was hired by Lakeland Police Department on August 9, 2010.
No further information will be released at this time.
- posted by Ann Dinges, PIO
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