Officials: Juvenile deliberately ran over deputy in Florida

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – A 15-year-old boy wanted on a warrant drove into a deputy Friday, throwing her onto the hood and to the pavement as he sped off, authorities said.

Orange County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mary Pearce had serious injuries to her head, back, hand and foot, but they weren’t life-threatening, Sheriff Jerry Demings said.

Authorities from the sheriff’s office and other law enforcement agencies were searching for the teen.

“He needs to turn himself in. He’s in serious trouble this time,” Demings said. “He is dangerous. We want the assistance of the public in bringing him to justice.”

Pearce and a juvenile justice officer had an order to take the teen into custody. It wasn’t immediately clear what the warrant was for.

The teen ran over Pearce as she approached a vehicle he was in, authorities said.

“He deliberately ran over her as she was approaching the vehicle,” Demings said. “She ended up on the hood of the car and he began to accelerate at a high rate of speed. At some point, she was thrown off the vehicle.”

The juvenile faces an attempted murder on a law enforcement officer charge, said the sheriff. The Associated Press doesn’t typically name juveniles charged with crimes.

The teen has a previous arrest for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, the sheriff said.

“He has a violent history with his interaction with law enforcement,” Demings said.

Pearce has been with the agency for more than two decades, and her husband also works for the sheriff’s office.

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