SEBASTIAN — Newly-released body camera footage captured the moments where a man – suspected of stealing a truck – fell through the ceiling of a home where he was hiding. The man had barricaded himself inside his residence, prompting a six-hour standoff with Indian River County sheriff’s SWAT deputies and crisis negotiators.
The 1-minute and 17-second video shows the suspect – identified as Keith Monroe Rodgers – appearing to fall from the ceiling onto a couch in the living room. A group of deputies then detained Rodgers and led him out of the residence.
Rodgers, 37, of the 400 block of Melrose Lane, Sebastian, was charged with grand theft auto and resisting an officer without violence. Rodgers was held Friday at the Indian River County Jail on a $20,000 bond.
Keith Monroe Rodgers PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Indian River County sheriff’s officials received an alert Monday morning from the agency’s Flock Safety license plate reader system about a white Ford F-350 previously stolen on Oct. 19 out of Osceola County. Deputies said the truck was headed westbound near Louisiana Avenue on County Road 512.
Deputies said the truck’s driver made a stop at the Sebastian Home Depot, where he purchased lumber. Sheriff’s officials used the Real Time Crime Center to identify the driver as Rodgers.
Deputies found the truck parked in Rodgers’ driveway. Rodger was unloading wood from the vehicle, but then fled into the home when he saw law enforcement, officials said.
“Rodgers barricaded himself in the house and refused to respond to verbal commands,” sheriff’s officials said in a statement. “Due to his extensive criminal history and previous statements that he would get into a shootout before going back to jail, SWAT and crisis negotiators were deployed.”
Deputies deployed tear gas into the residence and attic before they entered the home, said Lt. Kevin Jaworski, a spokesperson for the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. The team of deputies wore gas masks as they went inside and detained Rodgers.
Details on Rodgers’ arraignment were not immediately available.
