Who Is Markeith Loyd? Orlando Police Officer Shooting Suspect In Custody After Monthlong Manhunt

Orlando police on Tuesday caught murder suspect Markeith Loyd, wanted for allegedly killing a police officer and a pregnant woman, after a manhunt that lasted over a month, authorities said.

Loyd was located by authorities at an abandoned home around 7 p.m., Orlando Police Chief John Mina reportedly said during a press conference. When police surrounded the house, Loyd attempted to escape through the back before the SWAT teams arrived.

The 41-year-old was being sought in connection with the Dec. 13 shooting death of his girlfriend Sade Dixon — a 24-year-old mother of two who was three months pregnant at the time of shooting — and the Jan. 9 shooting of Orlando Police Master Sergeant Debra Clayton during a confrontation. Orange County sheriff’s Deputy Norman Lewis was killed in a crash during the pursuit.

At the time of capture, Loyd was wearing body armor and was armed with two handguns — including a Glock containing a magazine with the capacity for 100 rounds of ammunition — which he threw to the ground and resisted arrest. The suspect suffered facial injuries during the scuffle and was treated by firefighters, Mina said.

As he was taken into a back entrance to police headquarters using the handcuffs belonging to the police officer he is accused of killing, Loyd yelled to reporters on the scene: “They beat me up. They beat me up.”

Loyd will be charged with several offenses — multiple counts of homicide for the deaths of Clayton, Dixon and her unborn child, attempted murder for shooting Dixon's brother, as well as counts of aggravated assault for pointing the gun at Dixon’s mother and another individual at the scene — said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.

“Our entire community is going to breathe a sigh of relief. They will sleep better knowing tonight that this maniac is off the streets of our community,” Demings reportedly said.