MADISON COUNTY, Fla. — A man was arrested after a traffic stop led him to dragging a deputy through the city of Madison.
Jerome Davis Jr., 35, was arrested by the Madison County Sheriff's Office.
On Saturday, a deputy with MCSO was traveling on Colin Kelly Highway when he saw a blue Ford Ranger truck with an obscured tag.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop on the Ford Ranger near the intersection of CR 150 to address the traffic infraction with Davis. He saw Davis reach across the passenger side of the truck and grab an unknown object. Davis then appeared to spray some type of aerosol into the back of the truck.
The deputy made contact with Davis at the driver side window and noticed Davis shaking uncontrollably, appearing to be clenching his teeth as the deputy requested his driver license.
Based on Davis’s behavior, the deputy told Davis to get out of the truck. Davis refused and began to put the driver side window up while locking the door. That's when the deputy grabbed the window and tried to unlock the door.
MCSO said that caused the window to shatter, and Davis grabbed the deputy's arm while putting the truck in gear. Davis rapidly accelerated while refusing to release his grip on the deputy and began to drag him.
The deputy was able to hit Davis in the face with his free hand causing Davis to release him. He received minor cuts on his arms but was able to return to his patrol vehicle and initiate a pursuit.
According to MCSO, the pursuit continued south toward the city limits of Madison and the deputy requested officers of the Madison Police Department to help by deploying tire deflation devices. As the pursuit reached the city limits, MPD Officers were able to successfully use the tire deflation device, deflating three of the tires on Davis’s truck.
Davis still refused to stop as he continued toward a residential area, so another deputy had to utilize his patrol vehicle to make contact with Davis’s truck, bringing the pursuit to an end.
Davis is facing charges of aggravated battery on law enforcement officer, resisting with violence, and fleeing and eluding.
