He hit a deputy then took off. Now he’s in jail

When a man tried to take off after he was pulled over for a traffic stop Wednesday, he struck a deputy and now faces several charges, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies stopped a vehicle in the 900 block of Orlando Avenue at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday and could smell marijuana in the vehicle, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

When deputies asked the driver, 20-year-old Joshua Tarwoe, to step out of the car, he accelerated and hit the deputy before taking off down the street to 14th Street West, according to the sheriff’s office.

Officials chased the Tarwoe onto Cortez Road, where he turned off his lights and ran a red light. Deputies stopped pursuing him.

Tarwoe was seen driving southbound on Ninth Street East moments later. Deputies went to his home where the vehicle was parked and arrested Tarwoe.

Inside the vehicle and his home, officials reported finding two firearms along with individually packaged marijuana, Oxycodone and a scale.

The deputy was not injured in the incident.

Tarwoe was charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing to elude, resisting without violence, possession of marijuana with intent, possession of controlled substances and possession of paraphernalia.

This story was originally published October 18, 2017 at 10:38 AM with the headline "He hit a deputy then took off. Now he’s in jail."