Bradenton man hit 2 occupied patrol cars during police chase. Now he faces charges, police say
A Bradenton man faces several charges after deputies say he led them on a police chase in a stolen car, hit two marked patrol vehicles and caused hundreds of dollars in property damages.
Shortly before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, a longtime friend spotted Jim Courtney, 30, in front of Olive Garden in the 4400 block of 14th Street West. According to a probable cause affidavit, the friend invited Courtney into her car because it was raining.
Courtney then asked the friend to stop at Lowe's in the 4000 block of the same street so he could use the restroom, the affidavit says. That was when Courtney was seen running out of the store through the Contractors Exit, carrying two large yellow and black tool boxes yelling "Start the car!"
The friend exited the vehicle in fear, according to the affidavit, and Courtney began driving without the friend's permission.
Around 11:30, deputies located the vehicle leaving a warehouse on 61st Avenue East and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The vehicle did not stop, leading deputies "on a chase throughout Manatee County and into the city limits of Bradenton," the affidavit says.
Witnesses reported seeing Courtney driving the stolen vehicle through yards attempting to get away.
At one point, the affidavit says Courtney stopped the vehicle and ordered a passenger to get out before beginning to flee again.
After turning onto a dead-end street, deputies say Courtney "carelessly, intentionally and recklessly" rammed the vehicle into two occupied Manatee County Sheriff’s patrol cars. He continued driving, first hitting an aluminum fence and then a tree before getting out of the vehicle and attempting to flee on foot.
Deputies say Courtney reached speeds up to 69 miles per hour during the chase, and he also turned off his headlights to avoid being seen. According to the affidavit, Courtney's license has been suspended since 2013.
Courtney was arrested and transported to Manatee Memorial Hospital for injuries sustained from the crash. He remains in custody at the Manatee County Jail without bond.
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