Two Bradenton Officers Struck by Fleeing Suspect at Florida Wawa; One in ICU

Two Bradenton police officers were struck by a vehicle driven by a fleeing suspect at a Wawa convenience store early on Sunday, November 8, 2026, and one of them is now in intensive care with a traumatic brain injury. The second officer was also taken to hospital.

Officers had been called shortly after 3:20 a.m. to the Wawa at First Street and Sixth Avenue East in Bradenton, Florida, after a report of a man with a gun harassing customers. Two more officers fired at his vehicle as he fled, and a pursuit across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge ended in a crash. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is responding.

Key Points

• Two Bradenton police officers were hospitalised early Sunday, November 8, 2026, after a suspect struck them with a vehicle while fleeing a Wawa in Bradenton, Florida.
• One officer is in the intensive care unit with a traumatic brain injury, according to an update from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
• Officers had responded shortly after 3:20 a.m. to a report of an armed man harassing customers at the Wawa.
• Two additional Bradenton officers fired at the suspect's vehicle as he fled, and a pursuit involving three agencies ended when the suspect crashed at First Street and 10th Avenue West.
• The suspect was hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries; neither his identity nor the officers' has been released.

What Happened

The call came in shortly after 3:20 a.m. on Sunday. A man with a gun was reported to be harassing customers at the Wawa at First Street and Sixth Avenue East, in central Bradenton. When officers arrived, the man tried to flee in his vehicle, and according to the Bradenton Police Department he struck two officers as he attempted to get away. Two additional officers fired at the suspect's vehicle.

The suspect did not stop. He drove out of Bradenton to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the long cable-stayed span that carries Interstate 275 across Tampa Bay, before turning back toward the city. He was pursued by the Bradenton Police Department, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Highway Patrol, and the pursuit ended when he crashed at First Street and 10th Avenue West. He was taken to hospital with injuries police described as non-life-threatening.

Background: Bradenton, the Wawa and the Call That Brought Police

Bradenton is the county seat of Manatee County, a Gulf Coast community of about 55,000 people between Sarasota and Tampa. The Wawa at First Street and Sixth Avenue East sits in a busy part of the city, A report of an armed man harassing customers there in the early hours of a Sunday morning is the kind of call that brings a fast, heavy police response.

Very little has been released about the suspect. Police did not immediately release his identity, and they have not identified the two injured officers. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the state agency that routinely investigates officer-involved shootings in Florida, is responding.

Bradenton Officers Struck at Wawa: A Dangerous Escape Attempt

Vehicles used as weapons against police officers are among the most dangerous moments in American policing. An officer standing beside a car has almost no protection when a driver accelerates toward them, and the injuries that follow are often severe. A traumatic brain injury, the condition reported for the Bradenton officer now in intensive care, can mean a long and uncertain recovery.

The geography of the escape added to the danger. After leaving the Wawa, the suspect drove toward the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a high, exposed crossing over open water and one of the most recognisable structures on Florida's Gulf Coast. A pursuit there, in the dark, with a driver already willing to strike officers, would have put other road users at serious risk.

Reactions and Quotes

The Bradenton Police Department has released the basic facts, but it has not yet named the suspect or the injured officers, or announced charges. The department said the investigation remains active and that additional information will be released when appropriate.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, which first reported the incident, added an update confirming that a Bradenton officer is in the ICU with a traumatic brain injury after being struck at the Wawa. The paper reported that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is responding.

Why It Matters

The most important fact in this story is a human one: a police officer is in intensive care with a brain injury after answering a call to protect customers at a convenience store in the middle of the night. His recovery will be long, and the outcome is not yet known.

The incident also shows how quickly a routine disturbance call can turn violent. The officers were sent to deal with a man reported to be harassing customers. Within minutes, two of them had been struck by a vehicle, shots had been fired, and a pursuit was running across one of Florida's busiest bridges. For related coverage, see our reports on the capture of escaped Tennessee murderer Jacob Morley in Missouri and the Cincinnati lounge shooting that left a 20-year-old dead.

What Happens Next

The immediate priority is the injured officer in intensive care. His condition will be watched closely in the coming days, and the department is expected to release updates on his recovery as his family allows. The second officer's condition is also expected to be clarified.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will continue its response, a standard step when officers have fired their weapons and officers have been seriously injured. Charges against the suspect are expected once he is medically cleared, and the identities of the suspect and the two injured officers are expected to be released in due course.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened at the Wawa in Bradenton?

Early on Sunday, November 8, 2026, a suspect struck two Bradenton police officers with a vehicle while fleeing a Wawa at First Street and Sixth Avenue East. Officers had responded shortly after 3:20 a.m. to a report of a man with a gun harassing customers. Two other officers fired at his vehicle before a pursuit ended in a crash at First Street and 10th Avenue West.

How badly were the officers hurt?

Both officers were hospitalised. One is in the intensive care unit with a traumatic brain injury, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The condition of the second officer has not been publicly detailed.

Was the suspect caught?

Yes. He fled toward the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, was pursued by three agencies, and crashed at First Street and 10th Avenue West. He was hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries.

Has the suspect been identified or charged?

Not yet. Police have not released his identity, and no charges have been announced. The investigation remains active.

Related coverage: a Halloween night shooting in Dallas left four dead and five wounded.