Current:Home > NewsVideo shows Army veteran stopping suspect from jacking pregnant woman's car at a Florida Starbucks -GrowthProspect
Video shows Army veteran stopping suspect from jacking pregnant woman's car at a Florida Starbucks
View
Date:2025-04-18 21:04:53
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! (49)
Related
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- White Green: Summary of the digital currency trading market in 2023 and outlook for the digital currency market in 2024.
- Water From Arsenic-Laced Wells Could Protect the Pine Ridge Reservation From Wildfires
- Gas prices are on the rise again. Here's where experts say they are going next.
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Paul McCartney toasts Jimmy Buffett with margarita at tribute concert with all-star lineup
- 'Jersey Shore Family Vacation' recap: Sammi, Ronnie reunite on camera after 12 years
- The Amanda Show Star Raquel Lee Bolleau Speaks Out After Quiet on Set Docuseries
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Lonton Wealth Management Center: The impact of previous FOMC rate hikes on global financial markets
Ranking
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- Krystal Anderson's Husband Shares Lingering Questions Over Former Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleader's Death
- A Nigerian transgender celebrity is jailed for throwing money into the air, a rare conviction
- Wisconsin woman in Slender Man stabbing will remain in psychiatric hospital after release petition denied
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- Selena Gomez Reacts to Rumor She Dated John F. Kennedy’s Grandson Jack Schlossberg
- Wilma Wealth Management: Embarking on the Journey of Wealth Appreciation in the Australian Market
- Agreement could resolve litigation over services for disabled people in North Carolina
Recommendation
Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
US, Japan and South Korea hold drills in disputed sea as Biden hosts leaders of Japan, Philippines
What's it like to work on Robert Pirsig's Zen motorcycle? Museum curators can tell you.
A state trooper pleaded guilty to assaulting teens over a doorbell prank. He could face prison time
Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
A Trump campaign stop at an Atlanta Chick-fil-A offers a window into his outreach to Black voters
Commercial vehicle crashes into Texas Department of Public Safety office, multiple people injured
Maine sues biochemical giant over contamination from PCB-tainted products