‘They beat me up’: Man accused of killing Orlando cop brought to jail with swollen face

Markeith Loyd, the 41-year-old subject of the nine-day-long manhunt, was captured by law enforcement Tuesday evening.

While being taken out of an Orange County Sheriff’s Office vehicle and led into the jail, he appeared to have a swollen face and told members of the media, “They beat me up.”

The Orlando Police Department announced via Twitter that they had captured Loyd.

While Loyd had been sought in the Dec. 13 fatal shooting of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton, 42, had been notified by a Wal-Mart shopper that Loyd was spotted on Jan. 9. When approaching Loyd, they exchanged gunfire. Clayton was fatally shot, while Loyd escaped.

An Orange County sheriff’s deputy, Norman Lewis, 35, was killed in a crash the same day the manhunt began.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina wrote in a Tweet Tuesday night that Loyd was brought in wearing Clayton’s handcuffs.

According to the Orlando Sentinel reporter David Harris, Loyd was arrested at a home off of Lescot Lane in southwest Orlando, a house which the police department said was abandoned. He made a call from his phone, which indicated to officers his location.

During the press conference at the Orlando Police headquarters at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mina said that Loyd was wearing body armor and had two handguns, one of which had the capacity of shooting 100 rounds.

One of the first calls Mina made after Loyd’s arrest was to Clayton’s husband, Seth, he said during the press conference.

“He was relieved and happy but also upset to know (Loyd) was arrested right around the corner from Debra’s mother’s house,” Mina said.

The police chief also addressed Loyd’s facial wounds, which he described as “minor,” and said the fire department was treating him.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Loyd would face two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault.

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 8:04 PM with the headline "‘They beat me up’: Man accused of killing Orlando cop brought to jail with swollen face."