JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Investigators on Friday revealed new information in what led to Thursday’s pursuit of a white pickup truck along Roosevelt Boulevard that resulted in two cruisers and a civilian’s SUV being damaged.
Police said neither officer was transported for treatment of injuries. One of two occupants in the civilian’s SUV were taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
Investigators say it all started in the Paxon neighborhood where Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit detectives spotted two people wearing full facemasks inside a pickup truck.
Police said when they ran the plate, the truck came back stolen. And investigators said that when they attempted to pull the truck over, the chase began. It moved onto I-95, then onto I-10 and finally onto Roosevelt before coming to a halt in a vacant lot.
Haille Ray was there just moments after two men in the stolen pickup crashed into a light pole.
“You see all these police cars coming from all different directions,” Ray said.
An unidentified woman who witnessed the crash said she ran into a doctor’s office to take cover.
“He lost control of the vehicle and ran right into the light pole. And I thought, ‘This looks weird,’ because a cop was coming right behind him. And I’m like, ‘Oh my god, he’s about to jump out.’ The guy jumped out all in black,” the witness said.
The Sheriff’s Office said one person who was in the truck was hospitalized for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The other was arrested at the scene.
“The truck doors opened and they apprehended him,” Ray said.
Cathleen Lee also heard the crash from her office and then walked outside, witnessing multiple police officers arriving from different directions.
“I was frightened. I didn’t know what was going on. And I didn’t come close because I didn’t know if there were guns involved,” Lee said.
The Sheriff’s Office noted that police found a gun in the truck. They have not identified the two people who were inside.
It’s unclear why it took the Sheriff’s Office until Friday to provide an update on the pursuit. For the past 24 hours, people have been posting questions about the chase on social media and emailing the newsroom.