Cop, Home Struck by Driver of Suspected Stolen Car

When St. Petersburg Police officers attempted to stop a suspected stolen car Tuesday morning, a chain of events was sparked that would send two people to the hospital.

According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, the incident occurred just before 10 a.m. when officers in an unmarked car tried to stop a vehicle they thought was stolen. When those officers got out of their vehicle, the driver of the other car “intentionally rammed the car, trapping the officer’s foot,” an email to media from the agency stated.

The driver then took off, the agency reported, and a pursuit was authorized.

That chase, however, ended when the suspected stolen car crashed into a home at 1147 ½ James Ave. S. All three people inside the car were brought into custody.

The officer who was run over was taken to Bayfront Health for treatment. His injuries are said to not be serious. An elderly woman who was sleeping in the home at the time of the crash was also taken to the hospital as a “precautionary” measure, police noted. She was not injured by the crash.

Police have released the names of two of the three people in the car.

Jabarious Hill, 26, has been identified as the driver. He was charged with three counts of aggravated battery, auto theft, fleeing and eluding and hit and run. He also had an outstanding federal warrant, police said in an email to media. Laura Molina, 33, was one of the passengers. She has been charged with felony possession of narcotics. The third person was not charged.

Image via Shutterstock

See Also:

• Details Emerge in St. Pete Officer’s Shooting
• ‘Shawshank’ Fugitive Leaving Florida for Ohio
• 3 Kidnapping Suspects Remain on the Loose in Pasco

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