MIAMI, FL — A man accused in a possible carjacking was taken into custody Thursday after a fast-moving pursuit through northwest Miami-Dade ended when officers used a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle, according to police.
The incident began after Hialeah police said they received a report of a carjacking in the parking lot of Palmetto Hospital on West 68th Street. Investigators said the suspect approached a woman as she got out of her car, forced his way inside and drove off.
Authorities later located the vehicle in northwest Miami-Dade, where multiple law enforcement agencies joined the response. During the chase, the driver ran a red light, avoided attempted blocks by officers and struck at least one other vehicle before the pursuit was brought to an end.
How the carjacking at Palmetto Hospital began
Hialeah police said preliminary information pointed to a man who had been brought to the hospital by deputies under a Baker Act and who then left the area shortly after arriving. Police said the reported carjacking happened soon after that, while the woman was in the hospital parking lot.
According to investigators, the suspect targeted the victim as she was getting out of her car. They said he forced himself into the vehicle and fled the scene. Police have not said whether the victim was injured during the encounter.
The account places the hospital lot at the center of the early investigation, with officers first working to identify the vehicle and then track where it went next. Hialeah police later said the chase itself was handled by other agencies, while their detectives continued looking into the initial reported carjacking and a separate hit-and-run in the city.
The chase through northwest Miami-Dade
Video from overhead showed several vehicles from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol involved in the pursuit. Police said the suspect, later identified by Hialeah police as 35-year-old Eugene Jordan Brown, drove through streets in northwest Miami-Dade as officers tried to stop him.
During the chase, Brown allegedly ran at least one red light and came close to colliding with police vehicles. Officers also said he evaded attempts to block his path. At least one other car was hit during the pursuit, adding to the chaotic scene on the roadway.
The movement of the chase drew attention from nearby drivers and businesses. Witnesses said they saw multiple law enforcement agencies converging on the area as the suspect kept going despite efforts to stop him. The pursuit stretched across busy streets before officers finally slowed the vehicle with a tactical maneuver.
Drivers caught in the crash-like aftermath
One of the drivers hit during the pursuit, Ysidro Reyes, said he was struck as the chase passed through the area. “They were chasing someone; no, he came through and hit me and hit a sign and kept going,” Reyes said.
Other witnesses described a scene that quickly turned tense as police boxed in the vehicle. Ashley Bueso, a store clerk working nearby, said the car came through before police struck it and surrounded it. She said she saw officers on top of cars with weapons drawn as the situation unfolded.
Two other witnesses, identified only as Luis and Nicole, also described the moment officers moved in. Their accounts matched video showing a sudden stop, a sharp turn in the vehicle’s movement and a heavy police presence as the chase ended.
PIT maneuver stops the vehicle and officers move in
Law enforcement eventually carried out a PIT maneuver, a technique used to force a fleeing vehicle to turn sideways and stop. After the maneuver, Brown was taken into custody by officers who surrounded the car with guns drawn.
Video from the scene, captured by Rodolfo Hernandez, showed the suspect being removed from the vehicle after the stop. The images also showed officers closing in on the car once it was disabled.
The Florida Highway Patrol was the agency that stepped in to perform the maneuver, according to witness accounts. The move brought the pursuit to an end after the driver had continued through intersections and resisted attempts by officers to contain him.
Questions remain about charges and the linked investigations
Authorities have not said why Brown kept fleeing or what charges he will face. That means the criminal case remains unsettled even as the suspect is now in custody.
Hialeah police said they are investigating the reported carjacking and a hit-and-run in their city, but they have not confirmed that the Palmetto Hospital incident is connected to the chase that ended in northwest Miami-Dade. They also said they were not involved in the pursuit itself.
The separate strands leave investigators sorting out what happened first, what charges fit the conduct seen on video and which agencies will handle each part of the case. For now, the investigation remains active as detectives continue to piece together the sequence of events.
