ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A 27-year-old man was arrested June 2 following a dangerous pursuit that began at the St. Augustine Premium Outlets and ended with deputies using a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a citizen report of a suspicious person and found the suspect, William Middleton, driving erratically within the outlet mall area. He was observed driving the wrong way, throwing trash out the window, and making obscene gestures toward a pursuing deputy.

Middleton refused to stop and fled onto State Road 16, reaching high speeds and driving in oncoming lanes to evade deputies, nearly causing multiple head-on crashes. Deputies deployed stop sticks, successfully deflating the vehicle’s tires, before using a PIT maneuver to bring the pursuit to an end.

Middleton was arrested and charged with DUI, reckless driving, fleeing and eluding, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Source: St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office