A teenager from Oldham and her American boyfriend gunned down a police officer in Florida before turning the gun on themselves and committing suicide, US police claim.
Alexandria Hollinghurst, 17, from Oldham and Brandon Goode, 18, were stopped while walking down an exclusive residential estate in Windermere, Orlando – which led to them firing on and murdering a police officer.
The couple were later found dead from gunshot wounds close to the scene in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, said: “It appears they likely committed suicide.
“The two suspects were found very close to where Officer German was shot. It appears to be that both suspects, a male and female, died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.”
Hollinghurst’s family originally came from Greater Manchester and had emigrated to the US.
Despite the police report, relatives and close friends of the Manchester teenager claim that she was murdered by her partner and did not commit suicide.
“I have friends whose daughter was murdered this morning in Florida,” a family friend wrote on Facebook. “She was only 17… they think her boyfriend killed her.”
Police Officer Robert German encountered the pair while on a routine foot patrol and immediately called for back-up after deeming the couple suspicious.
When reinforcements arrived they discovers the veteran officer had been shot and was lying fatally injured in the road, with the teenagers nowhere to be found.
Officers from Apopka, Orlando accompanied by two sheriff’s deputies were immediately forced to take cover as additional gunshots were fired on their arrival.
The back-up officers managed to hold their ground until Orange County Fire and Rescue arrived to take German to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead after failed resuscitation attempts.
“The deputy knew he had a suspicious set of circumstances, so he called for backup,” said Demings.
“They heard gunfire in the background and went up and used the police vehicles to shield themselves and the officer.”
Police have now discovered that Goode was arrested only a few weeks prior to the shooting for marijuana possession, alcohol possession by a minor and for having drug paraphernalia.
The charges had been resolved without the offender serving a prison sentence and Goode was accepted into a pre-trial diversion program – undertaking treatment for addiction.
Police are currently investigating footage recovered from a lapel camera which the dead officer was wearing during the shooting.
Image via Facebook, with thanks.
