Deputy's Empty Cruiser Hits a Parked Jaguar During a Chase

An empty sheriff's patrol car rammed into a Jaguar parked at a this morning, after the deputy hopped out of the car to cahse a suspect without putting the car in park.

Deputy Joshua Escher was chasing a suspect when he grabbed the shift handle and thought he put the vehicle in park as he jumped out his vehicle to run after the suspect, according to a Manatee County Sheriff's report. Escher caught his suspect, but when he turned back to his patrol car he realized that it had travelled another 60 feet and had rammed into the side of a parked Jaguar.

Ronnie Mitchell of Bradenton was shopping inside the Sweetbay when the patrol car hit the left side of his parked car damaging both doors, according to the report. The push bumper on Escher's vehicle was also damaged. The report did not include a damage estimate for either vehicle.

No one was injured in the incident and neither vehicle had to be towed.