TAMPA, Fla. -- A routine license plate check turned dangerous Thursday, officials said, when a man with four felony warrants attempted to escape and dragged a deputy from his pickup.
The deputy had sought to stop the truck's driver from speeding away by reaching inside the cab to turn off the ignition.
Deputy Byron Beasley, 40, was on patrol about 1:15 a.m. when he ran the tag of a Ford F-150 pickup in front of him. he followed as the driver pulled into a gas station on the corner of Orient Road and Broadway Avenue.
He called out the name of the owner: David Solano.
Solano, 48, responded and told Beasley he needed to get his wallet and ID, deputies said. But as Beasley walked toward the pickup, officials said, he heard Solano start the engine.
The deputy reached in the driver's side window to grab the keys, but Solano stepped on the gas. The truck began rolling, dragging Beasley, deputies said.
Beasley fired his gun as he dangled from the truck, officials said, and the bullet hit the truck's door. He eventually freed himself and Solano sped off.
Beasley was not injured.
Tampa police later found Solano's truck on 59th Street. Another officer saw Solano nearby, chased him and arrested him.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office doesn't have a policy about deputies reaching inside a vehicle , said spokesman Larry McKinnon.
During Thursday's episode, a police officer who chased Solano on foot suffered a leg injury. Solano also complained of neck pain afterward, deputies said, and both were taken to Tampa General Hospital for evaluation.
Solano was booked into the Orient Road jail on several violation of probation charges, as well as obstructing or opposing and officer with violence and aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer.
Beasley became a deputy in 2010 and hadn't used his gun while on duty until Thursday, according to the department.
He will be placed on paid administrative leave while the incident is under investigation, which is standard procedure.
Times news researcher John Martin and staff writer Jamal Thalji contributed to this report.
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