Video shows arrest of man in stolen vehicle who avoided stop sticks, deputies say

License plate reader helps lead to arrest

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Video shows deputies capturing a man who was located in a stolen vehicle thanks in part to a license plate reader, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said they were alerted Sunday that a license plate reader had read the tag of a Honda CR-V that had been reported stolen after the owner left the keys inside it overnight.

A traffic stop was attempted on Seminole Woods Boulevard, but the driver, 23-year-old John Germain, ignored the patrol vehicles and instead sped through the area, a news release said.

Video appears to show a deputy deploying stop sticks and Germain crossing the median to avoid having the tires punctured. The pursuit was terminated because Germain was continuing to accelerate and drive more dangerously, according to the report.

Stop sticks were successfully deployed on the Old Dixie Highway exit of Interstate 95, causing the two front tires to be deflated, the news release said.

Video shows Germain exit the vehicle with his hands up while smoking a cigarette, which a deputy ripped from his mouth after he was handcuffed. The vehicle's passenger, 24-year-old Bradford Patrick, was also arrested because deputies said he threw a plastic bag containing a white, powdery substance out of the vehicle.

“This is another example of how leveraging technology can help us effectively solve and prevent crime in Flagler County,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “This is a guy that obviously thinks nothing of stealing your property. Who knows what other crimes this quick apprehension has prevented. Thanks to the great work of our deputies and this new technology, Germain is in the Green Roof Inn where he belongs.”

Germain faces charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle, burglary of a conveyance, fleeing and eluding and carrying a concealed weapon during the commission of a felony.


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