A Broward County resident was arrested Wednesday after police said he was the man behind the wheel of a stolen car when a security camera captured the moment a police officer in Sarasota was tossed into the air after the vehicle slammed into him.
Sarasota Police said Mark Thomas, 22, was arrested and faces charges including aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer along with fleeing and eluding with disregard for safety.
Officers investigating a burglary were staging a roadblock on a residential neighborhood Monday around 9 p.m. after receiving reports that a stolen white Mercedes S-Class was spotted nearby.
When the officers saw that a white Mercedes - allegedly driven by Thomas, a resident of Plantation - was heading their way, the car blew passed the police blockade and slammed into an officer, sending him flying into the air and flipping him over the car's hood.
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“The officer who was hurt anticipated the Mercedes would try to drive onto a side street or strike one of the patrol vehicles,” Police Chief Rex Troche said, WFLA-TV reported.
The officer was then rushed to Sarasota Memorial Hospital where he was discharged the same night.
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Following the pursuit, the vehicle was found abandoned nearby. A police investigation later identified Thomas as the man behind the wheel and he was later taken into custody.
Thomas has a lengthy criminal record, including charges for carrying a concealed firearm and cocaine possession.
