Current:Home > StocksVideo shows Army veteran stopping suspect from jacking pregnant woman's car at a Florida Starbucks -ProsperityStream Academy
Video shows Army veteran stopping suspect from jacking pregnant woman's car at a Florida Starbucks
View
Date:2025-04-17 11:43:55
One accused carjacker chose the wrong Starbucks drive-thru to target.
Dashcam footage released late last month shows the end of a police chase in Ocala, Florida, in which suspect Michael Prouty, 39, was being pursued after he allegedly broke into a local resident's house and stole their purse, cell phone and Cadilliac car, according to police.
Following a short chase in which the Prouty allegedly damaged several other cars in the stolen vehicle, he crashed at an intersection and took off on foot, approaching cars sitting in a nearby Starbucks drive-thru.
This is where Army veteran Shane Spicer first laid eyes on the suspect.
Spicer told local affiliate FOX 35 Orlando that he was barely awake and waiting in line for his coffee fix when he saw the crash and subsequent foot chase unfold. It was then that Spicer said he saw Prouty forcing his way into another car lined up in the drive-thru.
"(He was) sprinting up to Starbucks, and he didn’t look like a Starbucks coffee drinker," Spicer told Fox 35. "Then he yanked the girl out of the car. And just kind of an instinctive, kind of reactionary thing."
March for Isreal livestream:'March for Israel' rally livestream: Supporters gather in Washington DC
Footage shows moment would-be carjacker is foiled
The released dashcam footage shows Prouty trying to enter a woman's vehicle from the driver's side in what police said was an attempted carjacking. Multiple outlets have since reported that the woman driving the car was also pregnant at the time.
Spicer can then be seen exiting his own vehicle and sprinting over to intervene, getting into the passenger side of the would-be victim's car to fight Prouty off. Bodycam footage from one of the arresting officers then shows Spicer chasing Prouty down and holding him until police are able to catch up and make the arrest.
In a press release, Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken also acknowledged another good Samaritan, Tom Episcopo, who he said slowed Prouty down earlier in the chase.
"We are proud of these two citizens for their heroic action, for helping our officers make the arrest, and for keeping our community safe," Chief Balken shared.
According to the release, Prouty has a lengthy criminal history and is facing multiple charges. Ocala police charged Prouty with fleeing and eluding, attempted carjacking, crash involving injuries, and resisting arrest, while authorities in Sumter County, where he stole the original vehicle, are charging him with home invasion, battery on a person over 65, and grand theft of a vehicle.
"I feel like if you’ve got the ability to watch out for someone, that you should," Spicer told Fox 35. "I would just hope that someone would do the same for my family."
Man crashes into deputies in wild video:Video shows man crashing car into Florida sheriff's deputies, injuring 2
veryGood! (8434)
Related
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Jack Daniel's v. poop-themed dog toy in a trademark case at the Supreme Court
- The Young Climate Diplomats Fighting to Save Their Countries
- Singapore's passport dethrones Japan as world's most powerful
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- It's impossible to fit 'All Things' Ari Shapiro does into this headline
- Amanda Seyfried Gives a Totally Fetch Tour of Her Dreamy New York City Home
- The International Criminal Court Turns 20 in Turbulent Times. Should ‘Ecocide’ Be Added to its List of Crimes?
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- If You Want a Low-Maintenance Skincare Routine, Try This 1-Minute Facial While It’s 59% Off
Ranking
- Trump's 'stop
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $330 Bucket Bag for Just $89
- A Pennsylvania chocolate factory explosion has killed 7 people
- The president of the United Auto Workers union has been ousted in an election
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Shining a Light on Suicide Risk for Wildland Firefighters
- From searing heat's climbing death toll to storms' raging floodwaters, extreme summer weather not letting up
- The Bureau of Land Management Lets 1.5 Million Cattle Graze on Federal Land for Almost Nothing, but the Cost to the Climate Could Be High
Recommendation
$73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
Saving Starving Manatees Will Mean Saving This Crucial Lagoon Habitat
Jacksonville Jaguars assistant Kevin Maxen becomes first male coach in major U.S. pro league to come out as gay
Deadly ‘Smoke Waves’ From Wildfires Set to Soar
Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
Yes, You Can Stay at Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse Because Life in Plastic Is Fantastic
Is the Amazon Approaching a Tipping Point? A New Study Shows the Rainforest Growing Less Resilient
Florida girl severely burned by McDonald's Chicken McNugget awarded $800,000 in damages