Current:Home > ContactVideo shows Army veteran stopping suspect from jacking pregnant woman's car at a Florida Starbucks -Clarity Finance Guides
Video shows Army veteran stopping suspect from jacking pregnant woman's car at a Florida Starbucks
View
Date:2025-04-13 22:12:42
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! (18)
Related
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Greta Gerwig Has a Surprising Response to Jo Koy’s Barbie Joke
- Biden’s education chief to talk with Dartmouth students about Islamophobia, antisemitism
- Natalia Grace's Adoptive Mom Cynthia Mans Speaks Out After Docuseries Revelation
- Trump's 'stop
- National power outage map: Over 400,000 outages across East Coast amid massive winter storm
- Elderly couple found dead after heater measures over 1,000 degrees at South Carolina home, reports say
- Why oil in Guyana could be a curse
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Ashley Judd recalls final moments with late mother Naomi: 'I'm so glad I was there'
Ranking
- Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
- Alabama coach Nick Saban retiring after winning 7 national titles, according to multiple reports
- Virginia Senate Democrats decline to adopt proportional party representation on committees
- First endangered Florida panther death of 2024 reported
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Virginia Senate Democrats decline to adopt proportional party representation on committees
- First time filing your taxes? Here are 5 tips for tax season newbies
- Christie ends his presidential bid in an effort to blunt Trump’s momentum before Iowa’s GOP caucuses
Recommendation
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Woman, who fended off developers in Hilton Head Island community, has died at 94
Former Delaware officer asks court to reverse convictions for lying to investigators after shooting
How Jennifer Lopez Poked Fun at Her Past Marriages in Latest Music Video
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
Ohio House overrides Republican governor’s veto of ban on gender affirming care for minors
Bills fan killed outside Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium after last weekend's game, police say
Ready to vote in 2024? Here are the dates for Republican and Democratic primaries and caucuses, presidential election