A passerby shot and killed a person who was fighting with a Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Interstate 75 Monday morning.
Deputy First Class Dean Bardes, a 12-year-veteran, was working an accident at mile marker 126 when the suspect came upon him, causing Bardes to pursue him at high speeds.
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Bardes and the suspect exited their vehicles at the Corkscrew Road exit and a fight started.
The passerby, who had a Concealed Weapons License, exited his vehicle and instructed the suspect to stop beating the deputy, sources said.
After noncompliance from the suspect, the passerby shot the suspect three times. The suspect later died.
The deputy was screaming for help when the citizen shot the suspect. Deputy Bardes was treated and released from Lee Memorial Hospital.