Current:Home > MarketsVideo shows Army veteran stopping suspect from jacking pregnant woman's car at a Florida Starbucks -USAMarket
Video shows Army veteran stopping suspect from jacking pregnant woman's car at a Florida Starbucks
View
Date:2025-04-18 11:09:42
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! (21)
Related
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Are Antarctica’s Ice Sheets Near a Climate Tipping Point?
- At 988 call centers, crisis counselors offer empathy — and juggle limited resources
- A Longtime Days of Our Lives Star Is Leaving the Soap
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Moderna sues Pfizer over COVID-19 vaccine patents
- Boy, 3, dead after accidentally shooting himself in Tennessee
- Why you should stop complimenting people for being 'resilient'
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- See the Best Dressed Stars Ever at the Kentucky Derby
Ranking
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Are Antarctica’s Ice Sheets Near a Climate Tipping Point?
- Mike MacCracken
- States Begin to Comply with Clean Power Plan, Even While Planning to Sue
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Tony Awards 2023 Nominations: See the Complete List
- Dancing With the Stars Is Quickstepping Back to ABC After Move to Disney+
- Poll: One year after SB 8, Texans express strong support for abortion rights
Recommendation
Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
Utah district bans Bible in elementary and middle schools after complaint calls it sex-ridden
Henry Shaw
CDC investigates an E. coli outbreak in 4 states after some Wendy's customers fell ill
Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
Over half of people infected with the omicron variant didn't know it, a study finds
Lee Raymond
Today’s Climate: May 10, 2010