Prisoner In Melbourne Police Custody Bolts From HRMC, Recaptured After Foot Chase

By  //  October 14, 2017

Devin Martinez jumped out of wheel chair

A prisoner in Melbourne Police custody attempted to escape while being transferred from the Holmes Regional Medical Center to the Brevard County Jail.

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – A prisoner in Melbourne Police custody attempted to escape while being transferred from the Holmes Regional Medical Center to the Brevard County Jail.

The suspect, Devin Martinez, was in police custody after fleeing from officers both in a vehicle and on foot during the early morning hours of October 14.

“At approximately 2:15 a.m., officers observed what they believed to be an impaired driver in the area of US 1 and Jackson Street,” said Melbourne Police Sgt. Brian Hart.

“When officers positioned their vehicle behind the suspect to conduct a traffic stop, the suspect accelerated and drove in a reckless manner in an attempt to elude officers.”

Officers located the suspect on Horne Street, and when they tried to stop the vehicle, the suspect drove into their lane of traffic, driving directly at the officers. The officers fearing they were going to be struck by the victim, had to stop their vehicle to prevent a crash.

The suspect continued to flee from officers in his vehicle, leading officers in a vehicle pursuit that covered areas of South Melbourne and Northeast Palm Bay. During the vehicle pursuit, the suspect’s vehicle was damaged and the vehicle eventually stalled out near the intersection of Robert J. Conlan Boulevard and US 1.

“With his vehicle disabled, the suspect exited the vehicle fleeing on foot running eastbound towards the Indian River,” said Sgt. Hart.

“The suspect fled down the river embankment and eventually entered into the river in an attempts to elude officers. Officers pursued the suspect into the water where he then engaged the officers with physical violence, punching one officer.”

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The suspect was subdued and arrested. Due to the suspect being involved in a motor vehicle crash, tumbling down the river embankment fleeing from the police, and fighting with the police, the suspect was transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center for medical evaluation and treatment.

Further investigation revealed the suspect did not have a valid driver’s license and is currently on probation.

At approximately 1:38 p.m., the suspect was medically cleared from the hospital and was being escorted from the hospital to an awaiting police vehicle to be transported to the Brevard County Jail.

The suspect, who was handcuffed and in police custody, used this opportunity to jump out of the wheel chair he was being transported in and run from officers on foot. After a brief foot pursuit, the suspect was detained and secured in a police vehicle where he was eventually transported to jail.

The suspect faces multiple charges from both incidents including Aggravated Assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing and eluding, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer without violence, resisting an officer with violence, leaving the scene of a crash, driving while license suspended with knowledge, attempted escape and violation of probation.

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