PALM COAST, Fla. (WFLA) — A fleeing suspect was struck by a deputy’s patrol automobile after he pulled a gun on him, in accordance with Florida deputies.
On Saturday night time, Deputy Christopher Murphy with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Workplace was patrolling an space of Palm Coast when he noticed a person subsequent to a bicycle on a sidewalk.
When the deputy tried to method the person, recognized as 38-year-old Michael McDermott, he picked up the bike and rode away.
The video exhibits Deputy Murphy activating his sirens and following McDermott on the bike, to tug him over.
In line with the sheriff’s workplace, it appeared McDermott was slowing all the way down to adjust to the visitors cease, because the deputy stopped and exited his patrol automobile. The suspect fled once more after the deputy was out of the automobile. That is when Deputy Murphy chased after McDermott once more, attempting to catch as much as him.
Because the suspect was being chased, he started pulling a firearm out of his pants.
The sheriff’s workplace stated the deputy feared McDermott would use the firearm, so he struck McDermott along with his patrol automobile, sending him flying off the bike, the video exhibits.
A 9-mm Ruger firearm was recovered. McDermott was additionally discovered carrying a holster for his gun.
With the assistance of one other deputy, McDermott was arrested for assault or battery on a legislation enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding, resisting an officer with violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“The job {that a} Deputy Sheriff does to proactively shield our neighborhood is a harmful one, and deputies should usually make split-second choices,” Sheriff Rick Staly stated. “On this occasion, Deputy Murphy was pressured to make a split-second resolution in a harmful encounter with an armed felon. This incident might have taken a lethal flip, and I’m grateful that the state of affairs was shortly resolved earlier than that grew to become a actuality.”
McDermott was taken to a close-by hospital for minor accidents to his proper ankle, earlier than being transferred to the Sheriff Perry Corridor Inmate Detention Facility.
Deputies stated the suspect has a prolonged felony historical past in Flager County, having just lately been launched from jail on Dec. 17 for possession of fentanyl.
