South Florida officer shot during robbery is expected to live

Coral Spring Police officer shot Saturday night.

Around 7:00pm on Saturday, May 23rd, Coral Springs police responded to an armed robbery at Advanced Auto Parts at 300 University Drive.  Clerks at the parts store reported being robbed by two males carrying an assault rifle.  While officers were on the way to the scene the suspect vehicle was spotted and they pursued. The suspects tried to lose the officers and eventually crashed into the side of a home in the 10400 block of Ramblewood Drive.

Officer Paul Kempinski, age 27, a three-year Coral Springs veteran, began a foot chase with one of the suspects along Coral Springs Drive. During the foot chase Kempinski was shot at and struck several times by the second suspect using a fully automatic assault rifle. Officer Kempinski was able to fire his weapon in response but did not strike the gunman.

The first suspect was arrested moments later by several responding officers.  He is identified as Jeremiah Derico, ago 20, of Pompano Beach, Florida. The second suspect, still armed with the assault rifle, ran a short distance to the gated community of Maplewood Isle, shooting at pursuing officers who returned fire.

That suspect was later identified as Yancy Polk, age 24, of North Lauderdale, tried to enter two separated homes through the garage doors before shooting out a front window of a third home and taking the residents hostage. While inside, Polk hit and elderly resident in the head and fired one round into the couch. Polk surrendered after talking to Coral Springs Police Special Response Team Hostage Negotiators.

Officer Kempinski was transported to North Broward Medical Center where he underwent surgery for bullet wounds. He is expected to recover.

The suspects have been charged with Attempted Felony Murder, Armed Robbery, Wearing a Mask during the Commission of a Crime, and Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding. There are several charges pending for the crimes committed while in the Maplewood Isle area. Several of the Coral Springs police agencies assisted in the capture of the suspects including helicopters, K-9 and Special Response and S.W.A.T. teams.

Anyone with information on the investigation is asked to contact Detective Randy Rosenburg at (954) 346-1262.