A police shoot-out occurred Tuesday after a man robbed a Main Street post office, resulting in the suspect sustaining injuries.
“He was wounded when he reached into his pocket and pulled a firearm out and started to take aim at deputies,” said Art Forgey, a spokesperson for the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
Yowab Ben-Israel, 46, was transported to UF Health Shands Hospital and is currently in stable condition, according to officials.
Ben-Israel entered the post office on located at 1401 N. Main Street, according to the Gainesville Police Department.
Ben-Israel jumped over the counter, unveiled a handgun hidden in the towel and demanded money from the business, Detective Matthew Goeckel stated in an email. He then left the scene on bicycle with $1,135 worth of cash and coins, according to a GPD report.
GPD units responded to 911 calls from the area, but they did not have a K-9 unit working at the time and requested assistance from the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.
An ASO deputy K-9 handler who responded to the call spotted a suspect in the area who matched the description in front of the Winn-Dixie at 2500 N. Main Street, spokesperson Ben Tobias indicated in an email.
Tobias stated that multiple witnesses saw the suspect pull a gun and point it at two deputies on the scene.
An undisclosed amount of shots were fired between the deputies and the suspect. Ben-Israel was injured during the altercation.
He has been charged with robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
An investigation into the incident and consequent shooting is pending. Additional charges related to the shooting are expected, according to law enforcement.