A man in Eustis, Florida, is facing an attempted murder charge after allegedly dragging a female officer during a traffic stop. The police detailed that the suspect grabbed the cop by her vest and drove off.
According to an arrest report issued by the Eustis Police Department (EPD) and reviewed by WESH, the incident occurred on Saturday, August 1. At around 2:30 a.m., an officer noticed a swerving driver on S. Bay Street.
The suspect, later identified as 28-year-old Shakoi Donovan, turned off a side road in an attempt to evade the officer, the EPD said. Eventually, a second officer joined the pursuit.
Donovan was later found speeding on Titcomb Street. Finally, a traffic stop was successfully conducted, and he was stopped on S. Eustis Street and Quayle Avenue.
“That’s What It Do”
Both officers exited their cruisers and approached the suspect’s grey 2006 Infiniti. The vehicle was experiencing a mechanical issue, as smoke could be seen spewing from underneath the hood.
Donovan was told to shut off the vehicle’s engine. However, he argued he couldn’t do it, saying that “that’s what it do,” referring to the hood smoke.
“If I turn it off, it’s not going to come back on. What’s going on, though?” the man said, according to bodycam footage shared by the outlet.
Dragging a Cop
Things escalated as the officers ordered him to step out of his vehicle. He, however, had no intention to do so.
According to the EPD, Donovan grabbed a female officer’s vest and hit the gas. For approximately 300 feet, the cop was dragged. A second officer, meanwhile, was dragged for about 10 to 15 feet, sustaining superficial injuries.
Eventually, the female cop was able to break free after around 330 feet, Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri said. The officer fell and was found lying unconscious in the street and was subsequently rushed to a local hospital.
Arrested and Charged
A search followed as the man fled the scene. After an hours-long manhunt, Shakoi Donovan turned himself in and was arrested.
The 28-year-old now faces multiple serious charges. These include attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing to elude, resisting with violence, and resisting without violence.
Depending on the degree of the attempted murder charge, Donovan could spend, should he be convicted, up to 30 years behind bars, in a “best-case scenario.” If the charge is classified as first-degree, then Donovan could end up being sentenced up to life without the possibility of parole.