WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. – Police in West Melbourne say a 32-year-old man driving a stolen Jeep accused of injuring an officer was captured Friday afternoon in Rockledge after he crashed fleeing authorities.
West Melbourne Sgt. Graig Erenstoft said police were called to Coastal Lane and US-192 around 8 a.m. Friday for a report of a driver passed out at the wheel. When officers arrived they found a black Jeep Gladiator and the driver inside was uncooperative, according to the news release.
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Officers said they attempted to remove the white male from the vehicle but the driver put the Jeep in gear and accelerated while officers were still near the vehicle. As a result, one of the officers was “violently thrown” into a boat trailer waiting at the intersection traffic light. Authorities said the officer was injured but did not disclose the extent of his or her injuries.
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Authorities shared images of the driver and Jeep Friday morning in an attempt to locate the man, who was later identified as Blake James Myers, 32, of Fort Lauderdale.
News 6 partner Florida Today reports Myers was taken into custody in Rockledge around noon after leading authorities on a high-speed chase.
A contingent of police vehicles chased the Jeep north on Murrell Road in Rockledge. The Jeep flipped sideways on Gardener Road, and the suspect fled on foot before he was taken into custody, Erenstoft said.
While running from officers, Blake was holding a bag and continued to reach into it, alarming officers, according to the West Melbourne Police Department. The suspect was tased and taken into custody, Erenstoft said.
Officers said they found several types of drugs and a fake gun in the bag Myers was carrying at the time of his arrest.
Police said the red-and-black Jeep with the tag, FL-134YNH, was reported stolen in Broward County on Dec. 21.
Myers was booked into the Brevard County Jail. He is facing a number of charges including aggravated battery, resisting law enforcement with violence, possession of a controlled substance, grand theft auto, aggravated fleeing and eluding, leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage and driving with a suspended license.
His bond was set at $43,000.