Hundreds of police officers and teams of detectives from local, state and federal agencies have been searching for the man suspected of killing an Orlando police officer, Chief John Mina said Tuesday.
And they’re hoping an increased reward of $100,000 will help them find Markeith Loyd.
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“We’ll get him,” Mina said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. “It’s only a matter of time.”
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said detectives also are looking for people who have helped Loyd elude law enforcement and they’re “fairly certain” they’ve identified a few. Charges could be coming as early as today, he said.
More than 300 tips have come in since the Monday morning shooting, Barb Bergin, executive director of CrimeLine, said at the news conference. In a typical month, it usually gets 1,000.
She emphasized that the tip line protects the identities of tipsters and anonymous callers are still eligble for the reward.
“Please understand, when we say anonymous, they are truly anonymous,” Bergin said. “We will not identify you. We just need to know where he’s at so that no one else is hurt.”
Authorities have been searching for Loyd, 41, since Dec. 13 when his pregnant ex-girlfriend, 24-year-old Sade Dixon, was shot and killed on her doorstep. Loyd also is accused of shooting and injuring Dixon’s brother when he ran to help her.
Demings said at the news conference Tuesday that detectives have been searching for Loyd since then.
“There have been times when we just missed him,” Demings said.
Police spokeswoman Michelle Guido said detectives need the community’s help.
“Every lead is being vigorously pursued,” she said. “The community can help us by remaining on the lookout for him. We believe that someone must know where he is.”
A second law enforcement officer, Orange County sheriff’s deputy Norman Lewis, died in a crash just two hours later while responding to the incident and massive search.
