PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — A chase through Port St. Lucie ended with the capture of a Pembroke Pines strong-armed robbery suspect who turned a scenic park trail into a chaotic escape route, ramming police cars and attempting a foot getaway before being apprehended.
The Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD) said that just before 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, officers were alerted that the stolen vehicle was headed towards their area and instructed to be on high alert.
PSLPD said that an officer spotted the vehicle traveling east on SE Walton Road, near SE Lennard Road.
As officers prepared to conduct a felony traffic stop, the driver of the stolen vehicle, identified as 23-year-old Zion McGowan, allegedly took a sudden turn into the Savannas Preserve State Park.
In an unexpected move, McGowan attempted to escape down a one-way walking trail, but was cornered by the officers, per PSLPD.
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McGowan then apparently aggressively accelerated and rammed into a patrol car and the gate blocking the trail.
PSLPD said that officers then pursued McGowan down Walton Road, where he entered a dead-end street at the entrance of the Savanna Club, a 55-plus community.
As officers boxed him in, McGowan allegedly made a last-ditch effort to flee on foot but was apprehended in the backyard of a nearby home on Wedelia Court.
McGowan is now facing multiple criminal counts, including three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest with violence, resisting without violence, driving with a suspended license, grand theft auto, and felony criminal mischief.
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