Man with Lee County ties fatally shot after shooting deputy in Taylor County

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published: Updated:
Gregory Miedema. Credit: Florida Department of Law Enforcement

A convicted sex offender with a previous address in Lee County was shot and killed in Dixie County after law enforcement across Florida had issued a Blue Alert on Tuesday night, saying the man shot a deputy during a traffic stop.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement sent out a Blue Alert around 11:30 p.m. after it says Gregory Miedema, 33, shot a sheriff’s deputy multiple times in Taylor County, up near the Panhandle; video footage of the incident has been obtained. Blue Alerts are sent out when a law enforcement officer is killed, seriously injured or goes missing in the line of duty.

The alert was canceled shortly after 9:30 Wednesday morning.

340 hundred miles separate Lee and Taylor counties, but this week, one thing connected them; 33-year-old Gregory Ryan Miedema. Detectives say he’s responsible for 12 hours of violence, uncertainty, and chaos.

“Just after 10 p.m. as you had heard, there was an incident that occurred with a roadside shooting of Deputy Anderson,” said Florida Department of Law enforcement Supervisor Mark Perez.

Taylor County deputy Troy Anderson is in the hospital recovering from three gunshot wounds, one to the face, the neck and the hand. Deputies say was Miedema opened fire during a traffic stop then, “The suspect fled the scene,” said Dixie County Sheriff Darby Butler.

During a news conference, authorities said Miedema was shot and killed after breaking into a Dixie County home and exchanging gunfire with the homeowner.

“He exchanged gunfire with an armed suspect after the suspect entered his home,” said Butler.

By the time the Dixie County Sheriff’s deputy responded, “The suspect was deceased when the deputy arrived at the scene,” said Butler.

The sheriff did not say who killed Miedema.

Deputy Anderson was flown to the hospital after the shooting. He faces reconstructive surgery but is expected to survive. “He’s gonna return back home to his loved ones and try to put back together his life and get through this tragedy,” said Butler.

Online records show Miedema had addresses listed in Lee County and is a convicted sex offender.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement hosted a press conference on the incident. You can watch it below.

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