Watch High-Speed Chase as Fla. Deputies Stop Driver with Child in Car
What to know
- A 24-year-old convicted felon fled a traffic stop by ramming a Marion County deputy’s cruiser, kicking off a high-speed chase with a 1-year-old child in the backseat.
- Deputies used a PIT maneuver to slow the car down, and the suspect finally tried to flee on foot before he was apprehended—marijuana and a firearm were found in the vehicle.
- Skeene faces multiple charges including child endangerment and probation violations after a gun and marijuana were found in the car.
An attempted traffic stop turned into a chaotic chase last month as Florida deputies pursued a fleeing convicted felon with a 1-year-old in the backseat of the vehicle.
The June 27 chase began when Marion County sheriff's deputy tried to pull over a vehicle with tinted windows and a partially obscured license plate, WESH-TV reports. The driver—identified as Jordan Skeene, a 24-year-old convicted felon—initially appeared to be complying with the stop before driving in reverse into the deputy's cruiser and fleeing.
Dashboard and body camera footage released by the agency showed a deputy outside his vehicle before Skeene reversed and fled.
A high-speed chase ensued, and a deputy used a PIT maneuver to slow down the vehicle. Skeenes then ran over a mailbox and drove between houses before stopping and fleeing on foot.
Deputies apprehended Skeenes after a short foot pursuit.
A search of the vehicle after the chase found a 1-year-old child in the backseat. Marijuana and a gun also were found.
"Not only are these deputies, but these deputies are fathers," said Lt. Paul Bloom. "This was the pinnacle of selfishness to put this child in such danger just to get away from the cops."
Skeene faces multiple charges, including child endangerment and probation violations. He had been in arrested after fleeing police in March 2024, and his probation runs until March 2027.
