INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 33-year-old man was arrested after he pushed a deputy into oncoming traffic during a traffic stop, ran away from the vehicle and was shocked with a Taser, officials said.
The incident prompted comments on a neighborhood group on Facebook, a social media network, that a deputy had been shot, authorities said. Indian River County sheriff’s spokesman Maj. Eric Flowers clarified that no deputies were seriously harmed in the incident.
Ronshaun Jones
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
The suspect, Ronshaun Jones, of Orlando, was charged with two counts of battery on an officer, depriving an officer of communications and resisting arrest with violence. Jones was released Sunday from the Indian River County Jail on $17,000 bond.
Jones’ booking photo shows him with apparent injuries, including what appears to be cuts to his lip and nose. It was unclear if the injuries were from the struggle with officers.
An Indian River County deputy was on patrol about 9:30 p.m. Saturday when he noticed a silver Cadillac parked in the right lane of the roadway. The deputy noticed a man, later identified as Jones, get out of the vehicle and walk toward a home in the 4400 block of 34th Court.
The deputy activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop. The deputy told Jones to come back to the vehicle, reports show.
The deputy asked Jones for his driver’s license, which he gave to the official. The officer called for a sheriff’s K-9 deputy to search Jones’ vehicle for narcotics, reports show.
Jones began to move around, breathed heavily and showed signs of stress, deputies said. Jones then ran at the deputy and pushed him into oncoming traffic, knocking his radio off of his uniform, reports show.
The deputy tackled Jones to the ground and the two began to wrestle. The back of Jones’ head hit the front bumper of a vehicle that was passing by, reports show.
Jones pushed the officer off of him along with a second deputy who also responded to the scene. Jones began to run to the back yard of the home.
The deputy fired two shots from his taser, striking Jones in the back, reports show. Jones fell to the ground and deputies placed him in handcuffs.
Deputies said Jones was shouting and kicked one of the officers several times in the chest while being detained. Deputies used a rope to strap Jones’ legs together before emergency responders took him to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital to be checked for injuries, reports show.
Jones was released from the hospital and taken to the county jail. Jones has an arraignment at 8:45 a.m. Oct. 4, court records show.
