TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In an adrenaline-fueled escape spanning three counties, a Bradenton resident, determined to evade capture, accelerated away from law enforcement on Sunday night. The Florida Highway Patrol reported that the man was adamant about not returning to jail.
The dramatic chase was set in motion in Manatee County, where local deputies tried pulling over 31-year-old Randall Woodson III. He was sought in connection with a domestic violence injunction, and according to a trooper’s arrest report, Woodson took flight when stopped by the deputies.
Authorities warned that Woodson was both armed and dangerous. His resolve was clear when he declared he had no intention of ending up behind bars again.
During the pursuit, a state trooper on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge noticed a surge of Manatee County patrol vehicles. Heeding the call for backup, the trooper joined the chase, eventually spotting Woodson’s Hyundai sedan as it sped eastward across the Gandy Bridge and into Hillsborough County.
Woodson also fled the trooper’s attempted traffic stop and reached speeds above 100 mph on Gandy Boulevard, approaching the intersection with Westshore Boulevard.
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Florida Highway Patrol -
Florida Highway Patrol -
Florida Highway Patrol -
Florida Highway Patrol
Shortly after, he made a right onto South Manhattan Avenue, driving recklessly and running several red lights, the trooper reported.
Woodson traveled down South Manhattan, eventually ending up right outside of MacDill Air Force Base. He failed to negotiate a sharp right curve and plowed through a yellow road sign.
Undeterred, he continued a few more yards before colliding with a chain-link fence, sending the car’s rear wheels through the air.
Woodson exited the car and began to flee on foot into a wooded area. He was apprehended soon after by a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office K-9 team.
Inside the car, troopers found a small bag of what looks like marijuana and a semi-automatic rifle on the floor.
Woodson was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail and is facing multiple misdemeanor and felony charges:
- Fleeing to elude at high speeds (FHP): second-degree felony