Joshua Malone arrested after fleeing Florida police, crashes and totals new police ATV
Two men are under arrest Monday afternoon after they sped away from a traffic stop, crashed into a new St. Petersburg police vehicle (ATV) and tried to flee. Joshua Malone was charged while his passenger was released after questioning in the incident.
Monday afternoon, reportedly around 4 p.m., officers attempted to pull over Malone for a seat belt violation, but the vehicle immediately sped away. Police didn’t pursue (but followed) until it Malone ran a red light and struck the city’s new ATV, causing the ATV to roll.
Photo/Minnesota Historical Society via wikimedia commons
“Our policy is if it flees, you let it go, so they pulled over to the side but they could still see it coming northbound,” said police spokesman Rick Shaw to the press.
Police detailed how the crash disabled the car and both men inside tried to run, but were caught by officers. Officers found narcotics and two handguns inside the vehicle and one of the guns was reported stolen in a residential burglary on April 13.
The officer driving the ATV sustained non-life threatening injuries.
“He is extremely sore,” Shaw said. “He might have broken ribs. He was laboring to talk,” said Shaw.
The driver of the fleeing car also sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg for treatment. The passenger was initially detained, questioned, and has been released at this time.
Malone, 27, was charged with fleeing to elude, leaving the scene of a crash involving injury, driving while license suspended/revoked, grand theft of a firearm, convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance (crack cocaine) with the intent to sell, possession of marijuana, and possession of a controlled substance (liquid thc.)
The ATV was just put into service Monday and had only 10 miles on the odometer. It is considered a total loss.
photo Wset10
