An unexpected eruption of violence occurred during a routine traffic stop when police report that a suspect sped away with an officer inside his car and another officer being dragged. The event unfolded over the weekend in Eustis, Florida.
Eustis Police detailed the sequence of events during an early Saturday morning traffic stop involving Shakoi Donovan, 28. Donovan allegedly drove off with one officer trapped inside the vehicle and dragged another for a distance of 10 to 15 feet.
Officer-worn body camera footage shows the suspect, Shakoi Donovan, during the traffic stop that led to the chaotic confrontation.
Video evidence captured by bodycams depicts an officer interviewing Donovan during the stop. Another officer’s footage shows the suspect fleeing, resulting in one officer lying on the ground after being dragged.
The incident commenced when officers noticed a silver Infiniti swerving over a yellow line. Suspecting Donovan was under the influence, they initiated a traffic stop. Two officers tried to physically extract Donovan from his car following multiple requests for him to exit the vehicle.
As Donovan allegedly ignored these repeated instructions, officers opened his car door and reached in to physically remove him, but the vehicle was still running. At this point, Donovan sped away with one officer inside.
Radio transmission from the scene captured urgent calls for help, with an officer yelling, “He’s taking off, Eustis 77 is in the car!” One officer was pinned between Donovan and the steering wheel, according to police reports.
The second officer was dragged along, “sending him tumbling over the asphalt.” Bodycam footage records this “roll” clearly. Medical attention was provided to him for injuries sustained during the incident.
Court records show Donovan has faced prior legal issues, including arrests for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in May and burglary and battery charges in 2022. He has ongoing legal challenges in Lake County, Florida.
Donovan currently faces several charges such as attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, and resisting with violence. He remains in custody, with a court appearance scheduled for August 24.