A federal jury in Fort Myers has convicted Myles Andrew Strickland, 36, of Bartow, on charges including assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Strickland could face up to life in prison. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
The conviction stems from an incident in which Strickland, who was wanted on a state arrest warrant out of Polk County and had prior felony convictions, was located by a U.S. Marshals Service task force in Lee County. When confronted by law enforcement officers, Strickland fled on foot. During the pursuit, he turned toward a Deputy U.S. Marshal and racked the slide of his firearm inside his jacket to prepare it for firing. Law enforcement then shot Strickland. Evidence at trial included testimony that a spent cartridge casing confirmed Strickland had fired his weapon.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter is prosecuting the case.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)."
