Associated Press
ST. AUGUSTINE -- A 39-year-old driver who dragged a deputy following a routine traffic stop died early Tuesday after other deputies used a stun gun to subdue him, authorities said.
Kevin Kelshaw, a spokesman for the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, said investigators are still attempting to determine the events leading up to the man’s death.
Kelshaw gave this account:
At about 1:30 a.m., deputies stopped a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban for a broken tail light.
During the stop, a deputy noticed a container, about the size of a pill box, in the sports utility vehicle and suspected it might contain drugs.
The driver was questioned and denied knowing anything about the container.
When the deputy reached into the SUV, the driver sped off with the deputy hanging onto the car.
Several times, the deputy asked the man to slow down, but the man accelerated.
The deputy, whose name has not been released, was able to free himself when the car slowed to make a turn. He was treated for minor injuries at Flagler Hospital and released.
The driver then drove into the woods and fled on foot.
When officers caught him, the man refused to comply with deputies’ orders and they used a stun gun on him.
Kelshaw said investigators are trying to determine how many times the man was zapped.
The man, whose name was being withheld until relatives are notified, complained of breathing difficulties. Rescue workers responded, but the man was pronounced dead at Flagler Hospital.
The cause of death will be determined by an autopsy.