Brevard County

Suspect in custody after stealing Cocoa police cruiser, leading to chase

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A suspect is in custody after stealing two Cocoa Police Department cruisers and leading officers on a chase across two counties, according to police.

>>> WATCH LIVE VIDEO FROM THE SCENE <<<

Cocoa Police said they responded to a report of a disturbance Thursday afternoon near a local motel in the 4000 block of State Road 520. As officers made contact with the suspect, they say he jumped into a nearby patrol vehicle and drove away headed northbound on I-95.

Police followed the suspect into Volusia County and forced the stolen cruiser off the road where it became stuck in the woods on I-95 between Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach.

As Volusia County and Cocoa Police Department units approached the wrecked cruiser, the suspect emerged from the woods and jumped into another Cocoa Police Department vehicle and continued fleeing northbound on I-95.

Around 4:15 this afternoon, deputies were alerted to a stolen Cocoa Police Department vehicle entering Volusia County on I-95. A pursuing police officer was able to force the stolen cruiser off the highway and into the woods, where it crashed and became stuck around the 252 mile marker. However, as additional responding units approached, the suspect was able to jump out of the wrecked patrol car and into another Cocoa Police Department vehicle, again fleeing northbound on I-95. After units along I-95 successfully deployed stop sticks, the suspect again ran off the highway and into a muddy median around the 258 mile marker, where Sheriff Mike Chitwood and Division Chief Brian Henderson approached the vehicle. Additional units quickly converged behind them to take the suspect into custody. No injuries were reported. Charges are being determined and finalized, and more information will be posted when it's available.

Posted by Volusia Sheriff's Office on Thursday, May 6, 2021

Police and deputies used stop sticks to disable the second police cruiser, at which point the suspect was taken into custody without further incident.

Charges are still being finalized for the suspect, identified by Cocoa Police only as a 33-year-old man.

No officers or deputies were injured.

It wasn’t immediately known if any weapons were in the vehicle.

See photos from the scene below:

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Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.