A Gainesville man nearly hit two police cars as he fled a traffic stop with a blunt in his mouth. He was found in the woods Wednesday running from police, Gainesville Police said.
Mark Williams
Mark Williams, 36, was pulled over for driving with a broken headlight in Lakewood Villas, at 700 SW 62nd Blvd., according to the report. Williams made a three-point turn to avoid officers, nearly hitting a stopped police car.
As Williams drove away, he drove his car into another lane toward a second police car, according to the report. The officer, out of fear, swerved out of the way.
Police found Williams’ car half a mile away, crashed into a fence on the corner of Southwest 20th Avenue and Southwest 62nd Boulevard, GPD spokesperson Officer Ben Tobias wrote in an email.
Williams left the car and ran into the nearby woods, according to the report. In the car, there was a blunt and 0.6 grams of crack cocaine.
Officers searched the woods for Williams and found him after about three hours, according to the report.
After his arrest, Williams denied driving the car and said he ran away because he was scared, according to the report.
Williams was arrested on charges of aggravated assault on an officer, possession of a controlled substance, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and attempting to flee officers. Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail where he remains, as of press time, in lieu of a $33,000 bond.
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