Police Chase Across Miami-Dade Ends; Suspect Held

Police cruisers were seen following the U-Haul truck for several miles across the county, including across the Palmetto Expressway and through the Kendall area

A police pursuit across Miami-Dade County ended Friday afternoon when more than a dozen officers quickly converged on the U-Haul used by the driver, pulling him out of the driver's side window to the ground. 

Before the chase began, the driver, identified by police as 45-year-old Darrell Conyers, turned the wheel of the U-Haul toward an officer, causing the truck to hit the officer's hand, police said.

"Obviously, when there is no regard for law enforcement in general, then that makes it even more of a public-safety issue," said Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Aida Fina-Milian.

Conyers, who had cuts and bruises after his arrest, was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Criminal charges against him are pending, police said. 

A Miami-Dade police officer suffered a broken leg during the arrest and was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital, police said. A second officer, who works for the city of Miami police, cut his hand on some broken glass.

The events began when a theft attempt was reported at a tool store at 18100 SW Dixie Highway in Miami-Dade, and the thief fled in a U-Haul truck, police said. 

RAW VIDEO: Suspect in Police Chase Placed into Ambulance

Soon after, an officer pulled over a truck believed to be the one driven by the thief, police said. But the driver drove away, causing the truck to hit the officer's hand, police said.

Police cruisers were seen following the U-Haul truck for several miles across the county, including across the Palmetto Expressway and through the Kendall area. The truck sometimes went the wrong way on roadways and didn't stop at stop signs. It struck several civilian and police vehicles, police said.

RAW VIDEO: Police Pursuit Ends in Miami

The truck went through several neighborhood streets near the Palmetto, and the chase ended in the 2400 block of Southwest First Street, adjacent to Miami Senior High School. The school was placed on lockdown as a result and the lockdown was later lifted around 1:30 p.m.

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The officer who suffered the broken leg had been pinned between the U-Haul and a police cruiser during the arrest, aerial images showed. Another officer realized this and reversed the cruiser to free the pinned officer.

Police said that Conyers had prior arrests on charges of illegal firearm possession and carjacking. Police said there were two arrest warrants for him when he drove away in the U-Haul. He was driving with a suspended driver's license, police said.

Details about how Conyers came into possession of the U-Haul -- and whether the U-Haul was stolen -- were unclear Friday. A U-Haul representative told NBC 6 that the company was investigating the rental of the vehicle.

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