A Fort Myers man is in jail after Clearwater police say he deliberately drove his car into a marked patrol truck that was sitting at a red light on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard near U.S. 19 early Saturday. The officer behind the wheel was taken to Morton Plant Hospital with minor injuries and later released, and officers at the scene arrested the driver on felony charges.
According to the Tampa Free Press, the driver was identified as 28-year-old Garrett Burr of Fort Myers. Investigators say he accelerated a 2025 Kia Soul into the officer’s marked Ford F-150 while the truck was stopped at the light. Police told the outlet that Burr did not dispute their account during questioning and stated he had “intentionally struck the officer’s vehicle.” The report adds that he refused to explain why and declined to answer further questions.
Charges And Legal Stakes
Under Florida Statutes, aggravated battery includes using a deadly weapon and is classified as a second-degree felony. Section 784.07 enhances penalties when the victim is an on-duty law enforcement officer, which can bump an aggravated battery charge up to a first-degree felony with tougher sentencing rules.
Police Version And What Happens Next
Officers arrested Burr at the crash scene and booked him into the Pinellas County Jail on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the Tampa Free Press. Police say the impact happened around midnight on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard near U.S. 19 while the officer was stopped at a red light, and that the officer escaped with only minor injuries. Prosecutors in the Pinellas County State Attorney’s Office will now review the arrest report and decide what formal charges to file and when Burr will make his first court appearance.
Why Crashing A Car Counts As A Serious Attack
In Florida, driving a vehicle into an officer or another person often ends up treated the same as swinging a weapon, because a car can easily cause serious injury or death. That is why prosecutors frequently pursue aggravated charges in similar cases. Clearwater police have asked anyone who saw the collision or has video of the incident to contact investigators as the case moves through the court system.
