A Fort Lauderdale man’s afternoon in Margate ended in handcuffs after police say he slammed into an undercover SUV, bolted through neighborhood yards, then jumped into a canal before finally surrendering in a backyard. Officers later searched his vehicle and reported finding multiple firearms and about 9 grams of suspected cannabis, and the driver was booked into the Broward Main Jail.
Traffic stop on North State Road 7 turns into chase
According to a Margate Police probable cause affidavit reviewed by Margate Talk, officers spotted 21-year-old Maurice Eugene Lampkin in the 1900 block of North State Road 7 on June 24 and moved in to conduct a stop. Instead of pulling over, investigators say Lampkin threw the car into reverse and backed into the front of an unmarked police SUV, damaging its grille and bumper.
Police say he then bailed out of the vehicle and ran west through nearby residential yards, ultimately diving into a canal and swimming across before climbing a seawall into another backyard.
Officer confronts suspect after canal swim
The incident is detailed in department paperwork, and the city maintains a public police page and media-release archive for investigative notices available through Margate Police. According to that account, an officer drew a weapon in a Northwest 19th Street backyard, ordered Lampkin to the ground and took him into custody after he complied.
Police report three guns and suspected cannabis in SUV
Local reporting that reviewed the affidavit states officers recovered three firearms from Lampkin’s SUV: an American Tactical rifle on the driver’s seat, a Sig Sauer P365 on the center console and a Glock 19X on the rear passenger-side floorboard, along with roughly 9 grams of suspected cannabis. The affidavit identifies Lampkin as a 21-year-old Fort Lauderdale resident and notes he was booked into the Broward Main Jail, according to Margate Talk.
What happens next
Formal charges and any court dates will appear in Broward booking records and in filings from prosecutors once they are submitted, and the affidavit along with details of the vehicle search are expected to remain part of the public case file. Officials have not released information beyond what is contained in the affidavit described in local reporting, and it will be up to prosecutors to decide which charges to pursue.
