Carli Teproff
Miami Herald
MIAMI — After jumping in the driver’s seat of a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser, Shane Jensen sped down Florida’s Turnpike and led troopers on a more than 11-mile chase earlier this month, newly released dash cam video shows.
At times, he reached speeds up to 149 miles per hour.
A trooper had stopped to help the Largo man May 2 after spotting him on the northbound shoulder at Mile Marker 181 in Okeechobee County. Jensen appeared to be “medically distressed,” and “was incoherent when the trooper began talking with him,” FHP said at the time.
The trooper called for paramedics to respond, but before they could arrive, a shirtless Jensen managed to get in the 2013 Dodge Charger and take off.
The video released shows different angles of the incident from the patrol car. At about 20 minutes in, the video shows Jensen getting up from the ground, running toward the driver’s side and getting in. The trooper can be heard yelling, “Hey, hey, where are you going?”
Then the chase begins. Jensen guns the car, the video shows, and weaves in and out of traffic. About 33 minutes into the hour-long video, Jensen pushes the brakes as traffic comes to a standstill. Three law enforcement officers can be seen approaching the car with their guns drawn.
But Jensen managed to turn around and go through a cut through to the southbound lanes before he begins speeding in the opposite direction. The video shows the fluctuating speed. The highest was 149 mph.
About 50 minutes in, the Osceola Sheriff’s Office deployed stop sticks at Mile Marker 192. Jensen avoided the stop sticks and entered the grass median. The car came to a rough stop against the guardrail.
Jensen hopped the median and took off running. There were no crashes during the chase.
FHP said he was caught in the woods.
Jensen, who had a $400,000 warrant out of Pinellas County for carjacking and aggravated assault with a hammer, now faces charges including grand theft, high speed fleeing, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and reckless driving.
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