Fleeing defendant hits patrol car, sends deputy to the hospital

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Tabaree Jakeem Lewis, 36, was arrested yesterday and charged with fleeing with disregard for safety causing injury and resisting arrest without violence.

At about 12:20 p.m. yesterday, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to pull over a red Buick, driven by Lewis, that was traveling 70 mph in a 45 mph zone in the 24200 block of SE Hawthorne Road. The driver initially slowed, put on his blinker, and moved toward the right side of the road but then veered to the left side of the side and kept driving. The Buick entered the on ramp for US Hwy 301 and turned north, then made a U-turn and drove south. At the same time, a deputy was making a U-turn south of the Buick’s location to deploy stop sticks; the Buick hit the deputy’s patrol vehicle, rendering both vehicles inoperable.

At impact, the deputy’s driver side door suddenly opened, and the deputy fell onto US Hwy 301 in front of oncoming traffic. Lewis reportedly fled the crash scene on foot, pursued by another deputy. Lewis was located hiding under a shed in the back yard of a residence.

A bystander came to the aid of the injured deputy, using the deputy’s radio to notify dispatchers that an officer was down. The deputy was transported to the emergency room at UF Health Shands.

Lewis is a convicted felon who was most recently released from prison in October of 2020. After this arrest report was filed, additional charges were added for a hit and run involving injury and operating a vehicle without a valid license. Lewis is being held on $75,000 bail on the original charges; bail has not been set for the additional charges.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.