Screaming… squirming… slipping away from a police officer.
The suspect is on the loose, it’s unclear why he ran away. Police say he was pulled over for a traffic violation.
But the the situation turned wild and was witnessed by a lunchtime crowd in the parking lot of McDonald’s.
The suspect bailed out of a car, went running as fast as he could, and while he was grappling with a detective, onlookers say they were concerned the suspect would grab the detectives gun.
The cell phone video shows the suspect is shirtless, in stocking feet, not very physically foreboding, but he is putting up a formidable fight– as a West Palm Beach Detective is yelling for him to obey commands, trying to strong-arm him to the ground, but he is able to escape.
This scene unfolded Tuesday afternoon– in a busy commercial plaza on 45th St and Australian.
It was witnessed by two WPEC employees.
The police dept. says officers are reviewing the video to try to learn the identity of the suspect– and the resistance is legally considered battery of an officer.
“I think what you have here is a very violent suspect who is refusing to comply with orders even as bystanders are trying to tell the person to calm down and relax and what we should have is some compliance,” said Sgt. David Lefont, PIO.