OCALA, Fla. (WSVN) — A woman’s ordinary morning coffee run in Ocala turned into a heart-pounding encounter when she was nearly carjacked while waiting in a Starbucks drive-thru. Thanks to a quick-thinking Good Samaritan, what could have ended much worse was thwarted.
As Shane Spicer waited for his coffee police were in pursuit of a dangerous suspect, identified as Michael Prouty, who was wanted for breaking into someone’s home and stealing their car.
Prouty’s reckless high-speed chase came to a dramatic halt when he crashed at a busy intersection and attempted to flee on foot.
“A white male bailing. He’s now at Starbucks,” said one police officer.
Sprinting toward Starbucks, Spicer witnessed Prouty trying to carjack a woman, taking quick and instinctive action to intervene. Police dashcam footage captured the intense moment as Spicer, an Army veteran, jumped into the passenger seat to prevent Prouty from escaping.
“I’m going to get you, buddy. You’re not going anywhere now. You crossed the line,” Spicer recalled his determination to stop the suspect.
Bodycam video shows Spicer holding onto the suspect while officers arrived to make the arrest. While several people were injured in the crash, Spicer emerged from the takedown just a little out of breath.
“I feel like if you’ve got the ability to watch out for someone, that you should. I would just hope that someone would do the same for my family,” said Spicer.
The pregnant woman who was almost carjacked is expected to be OK, and shortly after the incident, she reached out to thank Spicer.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.