BUNNELL, Fla. — Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly took a hands-on approach to crime fighting this weekend, joining deputies with guns drawn at three suspects after they crashed into a Penske rental truck Sunday after driving recklessly on Royal Palms Parkway.
- Staly spotted stolen vehicle at US 1 heading toward Bunnell
- Sheriff checked tag, determined vehicle was stolen
- Vehicle sped up after marked patrol vehicle tried to pull it over
Three suspects were arrested: Brian Keith Johnson, Marquis D. Gross, and Justin Edward Thomas King, all of Gainesville.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office got a report about a stolen red SUV that was heading north on U.S. 1 at 10 a.m.
Staly found the SUV at U.S. 1 near Belle Terre heading toward Bunnell.
"After Sheriff Staly confirmed a match of the license plate number to the stolen tag, a traffic stop was initiated by a marked patrol unit. The suspect vehicle then increased in speed and fled from deputies," the agency said in a statement. "The vehicle traveled recklessly at excessive speeds weaving in and out of traffic and making erratic U-turns on U.S. 1 trying to avoid numerous attempts to deploy StopSticks by other deputies."
After briefly losing sight of the vehicle, deputies spotted it again as it tried to turn east on Royal Palms Parkway, where the driver lost control and crashed into a Penske rental truck.
"Sheriff Staly and deputies approached the vehicle at gunpoint and ordered the occupants from the vehicle," a statement said. "Two suspects were quickly detained while the third was trapped in the car due to damage to the door from the collision."
The driver was Johnson. The front-seat passenger was Gross, and King was in the back seat. All three suspects complained about injuries from the crash and were taken to a hospital.
The Penske truck driver also incurred minor injuries and was transported to a hospital.
“These individuals put lives in danger while they fled trying to avoid being arrested," Staly said in a statement. "We are fortunate no one was seriously hurt by their actions.”
The vehicle and license plate were stolen in Gainesville. The recovered SUV was taken to the Sheriff's Office impound for processing. It contained suspected stolen power equipment and counterfeit currency, officials said.
Johnson was arrested and charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, petit theft, and fleeing and eluding law enforcement. He is being held without bond.
King and Gross were each charged with burglary of a conveyance for knowingly entering and remaining inside a stolen vehicle with the intent to deprive the owner of his or her property, the Sheriff's Office said. King and Gross each have a $5,000 bond.