Photo Courtesy of Sarasota Police Department/Facebook
A shocking incident took place on Monday night in Sarasota, Florida when a police officer flipped over the hood of a Mercedes after a suspected burglar slammed into him as he fled from authorities.
The incident was captured in video footage that was released by the Florida police department.
According to police, the suspect, Mark Thomas, had allegedly stolen items from another vehicle earlier in the day before returning to the area in the white 4-door S-Series Mercedes.
Officers used their SUVs as barriers to block Thomas from leaving the island, but he was able to maneuver around one of the police SUVs before hitting the officer.
The police officer managed to jump up moments before the car struck him, then went airborne when he was hit.
He flipped over the windshield of the speeding car before violently landing on the pavement. Fortunately, he was taken to the hospital and is now recovering back at home.
The suspect was then chased by cop cars before he abandoned the Mercedes. He was later arrested at a probation office in Broward County and charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and fleeing to elude with disregard for safety, both felonies.
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The video footage shows the officer crouching down before jumping just before the vehicle struck him.
Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche said, “We all gasped when we saw the officer jump four to six inches off the ground and really save his own life.” Troche also noted that if the officer hadn’t crouched down as the vehicle approached, he would have been run over.
Thomas has a history of various crimes dating back to 2019, according to Sarasota police.
The police chief expressed that Thomas needs to be put in jail for his actions, stating, “This person needs to be put in jail for what he did, he could have killed an officer.”