Standoff on Interstate 75: Alachua County deputies negotiate with armed murder suspect; close road in both directions for five hours

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office received information yesterday from the North Port Police Department that a suspect wanted in a homicide they were currently investigating was possibly in the Gainesville area. They also advised he was believed to be heavily armed.

 

At approximately 9:45 p.m., deputies located the suspect’s vehicle traveling north on Interstate 75 in Alachua County north of Gainesville and conducted a traffic stop around the 395 mile marker. The suspect, identified as Robert A. Parolisi, 49 of North Port, refused to exit the vehicle and on numerous occasions waved a firearm in plain sight. Information gathered also indicated that he possibly had several other firearms with him in the vehicle.

 

For the safety of motorists on the interstate, traffic in both directions was halted, which left hundreds at a standstill for five hours.

 

After extensive negotiations, Parolisi finally laid his weapon down and exited his vehicle. He was taken into custody on a warrant obtained by the North Port Police Department charging him with homicide. Parolisi will be booked into Alachua County Department of the Jail and will be extradited back to Sarasota County to face his charges. There is no bond on the warrant.

 

According to the North Port Police Department, officers responded to a call at a North Port residence shortly before 6 p.m. Friday where a person was killed.

Deputies in Alachua County, “received information from the North Port Police Department that the suspect wanted in a homicide they were currently investigating was possibly in the Gainesville area. They also advised he was believed to be heavily armed,” according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

Besides the North Port Police and Alachua County deputies, the Florida Highway Patrol, Gainesville Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Alachua Police Department assisted in the situation.