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The Florida Highway patrol has taken the rare step of suspending one of its troopers. Timothy Nichols was suspended after firing 9 rounds at a fleeing car.  The suspect was accused of shoplifting, but charges were later dropped after prosecutors looked at dash board camera video.

FHP spokesman Mark Welch says Nichols has been suspended for forty hours.

“The particulars are he was in an instance where he fired some shots at a suspect,” Welch said. “We conducted an investigation and we determined that he used excessive force. As a result of that, we administered appropriate disciplinary action.”

Reporter: What is that disciplinary action?

“Trooper Nichols was suspended for 40 hours,” Welch said.

The shooting happened last October, but internal affairs closed their investigation last week recommending the suspension.