Video: Fla. Police Rescue 6 Hostages, Capture Robbery Suspects After Chase

Body camera footage shows Sweetwater police freeing six hostages and chasing down three suspects, as prosecutors later cleared two officers who opened fire on their fleeing vehicle.

Joe Vince

May 14, 2026

2 min read

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Body camera footage shows Sweetwater police rescuing six hostages and pursuing three suspects after an armed robbery at a Sweetwater business.
Officers opened fire as the suspects fled in a vehicle, wounding one before a chase ended in a crash with a tractor-trailer and all three suspects were taken into custody.
Prosecutors ruled the officers were justified in using deadly force against the suspects, who had zip-tied hostages and used BB guns.

Newly released body camera footage shows Florida police rescuing hostages during an armed robbery last year and apprehending three fleeing suspects following a chase and crash.

This week, the Florida State Attorney's Office cleared two Sweetwater police officers in their use of deadly force during the 2025 incident, WFOR-TV reports. The officers opened fire as the suspects were fleeing the scene in a vehicle, injuring one of the individuals.

"A review of the facts and evidence we find the use of deadly force by officers Jenrry Martin and Manuel Saavedra to be legally justified," the state attorney's office said in its close-out memo.

The incident happened June 27 after police received reports of three masked gunmen who had entered a business and were threatening to kill someone, according to WTVJ-TV. When two officers reached the scene, they fired as suspects drove away in a vehicle, wounding a suspect in the knee.

A chase ensued before ending when the three suspects crashed into a tractor-trailer in Medley, The suspects then were taken into custody by police.

The released body camera footage captures the officers opening fire at the fleeing suspects, as well as their arrest by police following the chase. It also shows officers rescuing six hostages, who had been zip-tied during the incident.

Court documents state that the suspects had traveled from San Francisco to Miami days in order to steal about $170,000 worth of Apple products from the business. Investigators found that the weapons they carried had been BB guns.

The suspects faced federal carjacking and robbery charges, and two of them have already been sentenced. The case for the third suspect—the one who was wounded in the knee—is still pending.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.