Lee County deputy-involved shooting suspect surrendered without fight

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Close to eight hours after exchanging gunfire with two Lee County Sheriff’s deputies, Rones Sagesse knocked on the door of a home on the 1800 block of Maple Drive and gave himself up to authorities after the woman inside called 911, the woman said.

It was the culmination of a manhunt that kept the Pine Manor neighborhood on edge Wednesday night. The 24-year-old, accused of firing at deputies near 5511 Sixth Ave., didn’t say anything to the woman, who didn’t open the door.

The woman, who did not want to be identified, said she called 911. Sagesse surrendered without a fight after having been on the run with a gunshot wound to the leg since the 7 p.m. shooting. The description the sheriff’s office had sent out for him hours before indicated he wasn’t wearing any shoes.

“Yet again our brave Deputies came under attack and yet again, good prevailed over evil,” Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott said. “The effort of manpower and resources put forth to remove this thug from our streets further demonstrates the resolve of the LCSO.”

The sheriff’s office instructed residents to stay indoors and notify authorities if they saw Sagesse, whom they said was armed and dangerous.

The night of violence began Sagesse threatened to kill his girlfriend as he had her pinned against the outside of an apartment with a gun pointed at her stomach, neighbor Paul Rogers said. Deputies were called to the scene.

He fired first and the deputies, who were unhurt, returned fire, the sheriff’s office said. Eight bullet holes could be seen in a nearby home.

Sagesse is in custody, though it’s unclear whether he’s in a hospital or in jail.

It’s not the first time Sagesse has been accused of a violent encounter with deputies. He was arrested Oct. 10 after punching a deputy in the head, the sheriff’s office said. That deputy and one other grappled with Sagesse on the ground before they used a taser to subdue him, according to the sheriff’s office.