SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida man faces an attempted murder charge for dragging a sheriff's deputy nearly 100 yards in his car after driving away during a tense traffic stop. The incident was captured on both the deputy's body cam and dash cam.
The Seminole County Sheriff's Office posted the footage Sunday on Facebook, saying it was being released in "the spirit of transparency." The video shows the confrontation between Deputy Aaron Blais and Rocky Money Rudolph Jr.
Blais stopped Rudolph on Saturday morning because of an illegal window tint on his Cadillac Escalade, police said. The nine-minute video shows the two starting off with friendly banter, with Blais telling Rudolph he has "the best name I've seen" in 14 years on the job.
But the mood turns after several minutes, when Blais says he smells marijuana. Rudolph is seen smoking something in the video, but he claims it's a "black and mild" — apparently referencing the cigar brand — and denies having marijuana in the car. He also says he does not have a medical marijuana card.
Blais asks Rudolph to turn off the car, and Rudolph resists, repeating that he does not have marijuana. Blais then reaches into the car and grabs the seatbelt — and Rudolph's car takes off, taking the deputy along.
The video shows Blais pulling out his gun as the car is moving and ordering Rudolph to stop. "Put your hands up! Put your f**king hands up!" he yells, with his gun pointed at Rudolph. Rudolph grabs the gun and drives away again — this time dragging the deputy for several moments before Blais falls onto the road near an interstate.
The sheriff's office said Blais was treated for non-life threatening injuries and released from a hospital. Blais fired several shots during the confrontation, authorities said and Rudolph was shot in the leg.
Rudolph, a convicted felon, was captured after a manhunt that spanned more than seven hours, CBS Orlando affiliate WKMG reports. He faces charges for attempted murder and aggravated assault. Sheriff Dennis Lemma said Rudolph was seen by witnesses tossing a gun into bushes and had another firearm in his car, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says it will investigating Blais' shooting during the incident.