A British teenager and her American boyfriend gunned down a US police officer in Florida before turning the weapon on themselves minutes later, police say. Alexandria Hollinghurst, 17, and Brandon Goode, 18, were stopped by a police officer as they walked down a street in a wealthy residential suburb of Orlando, Florida in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Police Officer Robert German encountered the pair while on a routine foot patrol and immediately called for back-up after deeming them suspicious.
But when back-up police arrived on the scene, they found the officer had been shot and was lying fatally injured in the road with the teenagers nowhere to be seen.
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Tragedy: Alex Hollinghurst died early Saturday morning - officials say by suicide, but family and friends say she was murdered
A search was carried out and they found the teenagers dead from apparently self-inflicted gunshot wounds in the grounds of multi-million dollar home.
US authorities said it appeared both Goode and Hollinghurst - known as Alex - had committed suicide, but her family believes she may have been murdered by her boyfriend.
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Last night a major investigation was under way into the deaths, but it is believed Hollinghurst originally came from Oldham, Greater Manchester, and her family had emigrated to the US. The dead officer was wearing a body camera.
Sheriff’s investigators said they would analyze any images retrieved from the device.
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Fallen hero: Officer Robert German (left) was
shot and killed early Saturday after stopping Brandon Goode (right) and
Alexandria Hollinghurst before calling for backup
German came across the pair while conducting foot patrols Saturday morning, in the same exclusive gated community that Tiger Woods and ex-wife Elin Nordegren previously had a home, and immediately called for backup.
'The deputy knew he had a suspicious set of circumstances, so he called for backup,' said Demings, in footage of the press conference shown by WESH.
Officers from Apopka, Orlando and two sheriff's deputies soon arrived and were forced to take cover as the additional gunshots shattered the predawn silence.
'They heard gunfire in the background,' Demings continued. 'They went up and used the police vehicles to shield themselves and the officer,'
The officers held their ground until Orange County Fire and Rescue arrived to take German to a local hospital. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, he was soon pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center, said Demings.
Officers on the scene made their way towards where they thought they heard gunshots as the ambulance sped away.
Demings said they conducted a perimeter patrol and soon found the pair on the grounds of a multimillion dollar home, both from nearby Davenport, dead of apparently self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
'The two suspects were found very close to where Officer German was shot,' Demings explained. 'It appears to be that both suspects, a male and female, died from self-inflicted gun shot wounds.'
Goode was arrested only a few weeks ago for marijuana possession, alcohol possession by a minor and for having drug paraphernalia - all were first time offenses, records showed.
He resolved those charges without going to prison last Thursday when he was accepted into a pre-trial diversion program - undertaking treatment for addiction.
The only police record involving Hollinghurst was a three-car pileup where she was not believed to be at fault.
An investigation into the 'senseless tragedy' of the five-year-veteran's death is ongoing, Windermere Police Chief David Ogden said at the same press conference.
All evidence - including German's lapel cam footage showing his encounter with the two individuals - has been turned over to the OCSO, he added.
Hollinghurst's family and friends insist on social media that she was murdered, that her death was not a suicide.
'I have friends whose daughter was murdered this morning in Florida,' a family friend wrote on Facebook. 'She was only 17... they think her boyfriend killed her.'
Multiple MailOnline messages left with the OCSO seeking further comment, including whether or not Goode could possibly have killed both German and Hollinghurst before turning the gun on himself, have not been returned.
Several people have expressed overwhelming sadness over the death of one of only 12 full time officers in the town of about 2,000.
'Windermere's heart is broken,' said Mayor Gary Bruhn.
'Robbie was one of the greatest men I have ever known,' Tara Boers wrote on a Facebook page dedicated to German. 'He loved being a police officer even knowing the risks involved. My daughter and I feel such loss today and will love him forever.'
A childhood neighbor of the fallen officer told WFTV he remembers the day Windermere Police canvassed the neighborhood for character references shortly before he joined the department, he was shocked to hear German had been shot to death.
'Officer German was a good cop, he was one of the finest police officers that we had in this agency,' said Ogden, adding he had just returned to foot patrols this week after months behing a desk while rehabbing after shoulder surgery.
'This is such a nice safe area,' a local told News 13, 'it is unbelievable that this would happen.'
Several other people told local media the incident was shocking, and a terrible tragedy.
German's death follows the murder of Orange County Deputy Jonathan Scott Pine, 34, by only six weeks.
Pine was shot to death while investigating car burglaries just a mile from where German was shot.
Police Chief David Ogden echoed that sentiment, noting: 'Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with Officer German's family during this difficult time.'
German attended Lake Mary High School, then studied at the Seminole State College police academy.
He is survived by his mother and father.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2587031/Orlando-officer-shot-killed-two-pedestrians-immediately-committed-suicide.html#ixzz2wsSrieyn
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