After shooting a man, stealing his car and leading police on a high-speed pursuit — with a puppy in the backseat — a Gainesville man was arrested Friday, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said.
At about 3 p.m., 27-year-old Johnny Lee Coleman III shot Roland Loog, the former director of Visit Gainesville, in the arm and stole his white Subaru Legacy in the 1600 block of Southeast Williston Road, according to an ACSO arrest report. Shortly after, a Gainesville Police officer noticed Coleman driving the stolen car and began chasing him after he refused to pull over.
In dashboard camera footage released, ACSO and GPD deputies are seen speeding after Coleman, reaching over 100 mph, for several minutes on U.S. 441 southbound. An ACSO deputy ended the chase by bumping the back of the stolen car in Micanopy.
A silver AMT .45 semi-automatic handgun and four Xanax pills were found in the car, according to the report. Loog suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and is recovering at a local hospital, according to the news release.
When checking the car, deputies found a small, brown dachshund puppy in the back seat, according to the release. The dog belonged to a female passenger who had been in the car before Coleman stole it. The puppy is currently being cared for by Alachua County Animal Services.
Coleman was arrested and taken to the Alachua County Jail on charges of fleeing law enforcement, carjacking with a weapon and not premeditated murder. He remains in custody, as of press time, in lieu of a $931,000 bond.
When checking the car, deputies found a small, brown dachshund puppy in the back seat.
