U.S. marshals arrest Tampa man in Father’s Day weekend killing

U.S. marshals arrested Roosevelt Harmon in Palm Beach County on July 7 after a weeklong manhunt tied to a fatal shooting in Tampa that had already spawned false claims online. Tampa police booked the 30-year-old on first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm and felon in possession of a firearm in the June 21 killing of Kevondre Thomas.

The shooting happened just after 10 p.m. near West Main Street and North Albany Avenue, where officers were dispersing a large gathering when gunfire broke out. Thomas, 29, was found in critical condition and later died. Police listed his date of birth as July 16, 1996.

Detectives said surveillance video from a nearby business showed Harmon and Thomas arguing before the shooting, with bystanders trying to break up the confrontation. Investigators also said Harmon pulled out a gun and shot Thomas, who did not have a weapon. A witness identified Harmon as the shooter.

Deputy Chief Patrick Messmer pushed back on online posts claiming officers had opened fire during the melee. He said body-worn camera footage showed officers running toward the gunfire, not causing it. Hundreds of people were present at an impromptu Father’s Day celebration, a chaotic backdrop that helped fuel rumors before investigators sorted out what happened.

Lee Bercaw, chief of the Tampa Police Department, said detectives remained committed to justice for the Thomas family and hoped the arrest would bring them some comfort. Police asked anyone with information to come forward using case number 2026-367709.

The U.S. Marshals Service leads 58 local fugitive task forces, including the Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, which began operating in July 2008 and has apprehended more than 64,600 fugitives. In fiscal 2023, it arrested or cleared 73,362 fugitives, including 5,447 homicide suspects.