A chase on Monday evening led to the arrest of a Florida man after he reportedly hit several Hillsborough County deputies with his vehicle. The incident began with an attempted traffic stop at around 5:30 p.m., when deputies sought to pull over 28-year-old Sean Bolton for illegal window tint and a stop sign violation in his Chrysler 300, as reported by abc Action News.
According to WTSP, Bolton evaded the initial traffic stop, leading officers on a chase to Carriage Pointe Drive, where they attempted to deploy stop sticks. Bolton reportedly maneuvered his car towards a deputy who had to take evasive action to avoid being hit. The chase continued with Bolton ramming into two deputy vehicles before fleeing again.
The pursuit resulted in one deputy crashing into a tree and another's vehicle smashing through a backyard fence, causing a fence post to crash through the window, narrowly missing the deputy, as detailed by News Channel 8. A successful PIT maneuver by the deputies ended the chase, with three deputies sustaining minor injuries and receiving treatment at Tampa General Hospital, from which they've been released. Sheriff Chad Chronister commented on the incident, stating, "This individual has multiple opportunities to do the right thing and pull over, but instead, he chose to continue his reckless and dangerous behavior, showing a complete disregard for the safety of our deputies and the community members around him." The chase also resulted in damages to HCSO vehicles and personal property, including the fence, while the deputies were trying to avert a potentially more dangerous situation resultant from a high-speed chase.
Bolton is now facing multiple charges, which include three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle, aggravated fleeing to elude law enforcement, possession of marijuana, and driving while license suspended. The legal process will unfold as the Hillsborough County justice system proceeds with the case against him.
