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A former Flagler County, Florida, deputy robbed a convenience store and sparked a high-speed chase through three counties Thursday night, authorities said.
Deputies said Daniel Ruddell, 45, committed the robbery in Daytona Beach at about 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving night. He allegedly threatened the store clerk with a bottle of liquid he claimed was toxic and demanded money.
Ruddell then fled in a black Chevy Silverado and was later spotted by Daytona Beach police and Volusia County deputies who tried to pull him over, but he sped northbound on Interstate 95, managing to avoid stop sticks twice.
In an attempt to avoid stop sticks deployed by St. Johns County deputies, Ruddell rammed a Flagler County deputy’s patrol car and attempted to hit a deputy, authorities said.
“He slowed down to almost a complete stop and he attempted to run over some of our deputy sheriffs. There were shots fired at that point,” said Chris Strickland of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.
St. Johns County Fire and Rescue said Ruddell was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and later arrested.
Flagler County deputies said the suspect was a former deputy with the department as well as a former Daytona Beach police officer. He also worked as a Putnam County deputy.
Ruddell, who was arrested recently on drug possession charged, faces charges of aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude with property damage.
He is expected to face additional charges.
“There are very few things we would pursue on this day with all this traffic up here, but the fact is, this was an armed robbery suspect and we have to do what we can to keep the public safe,” Strickland said.
