A routine traffic stop in Eustis, Florida, turned into a violent ordeal when a suspect allegedly accelerated while officers were attempting to remove him from his vehicle, dragging them in the process. According to the New York Post and NBC 15, the incident began early Saturday morning, the 1st of August, when officers noticed a silver Infiniti weaving over the yellow line, leading them to believe the driver might be impaired.
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Shakoi Donovan, was reportedly pulled over by two officers. Body camera footage captured the initial interaction, where an officer can be heard asking, “Why are you driving like that?” They then noted, “First off, you smell like you burned the brakes off this thing.”
In the body cam footage, Donovan claimed his vehicle had an oil leak. Both he and the officers noted smoke coming from the car, which is also visible in the video. At that point, the officer asked him to switch off his vehicle, but he didn’t comply. Then the officer opened his door and ordered Donovan to exit the vehicle multiple times. When he refused to comply, the officers attempted to physically remove him from the running car.
It was at this moment that the encounter turned dangerous
As officers reached toward him, Donovan allegedly stepped on the accelerator. One officer was caught inside the driver’s side of the vehicle and was pinned between Donovan and the steering wheel as the car sped away. According to the NBC 15 report, Senior Officer Murray was dragged approximately 330 feet before being thrown onto the roadway. The injuries sustained by the officer were serious, including a concussion, blunt force trauma, and severe road rash.
A second officer was also struck and dragged by the vehicle during the escape. The police report detailed the scene, noting that the second officer was sent “tumbling across the S. Eustis Street asphalt, barrel rolling multiple times.”
On the body camera video, you can see the moment the second officer fell and was lying on the ground. Another officer can be heard shouting, “He’s taking off Eustis 77 is in the car!” Per the outlets, both injured officers were transported to a hospital for treatment. Body Cam footage has been instrumental in other cases too. Recently, footage captured the moment a Washington trooper had to break into a car to save a fading toddler.
Following the incident, NBC 15 reported that the Eustis Police Department issued an active arrest warrant for Donovan, who fled the scene. He is currently facing a serious list of charges. They reportedly include attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing to elude resulting in injury, two counts of resisting with violence, and three counts of resisting without violence.
Donovan is currently in jail and is scheduled to appear in court on August 24. Earlier this year, police body cam also caught a Florida teen attempting to steal a patrol car. Interestingly, the police were there to confront him about trying to steal a vehicle from a BMW dealership.
Per NBC 15, this is not the first time Donovan has had significant interactions with the legal system. According to the arrest affidavit, he was previously released from the Florida Department of Corrections on May 21, 2026, after serving time for possession of cocaine and aggravated assault with a weapon without intent to kill.
Further court records indicate a history of run-ins with the law, including a reported May arrest for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a 2022 arrest involving burglary and battery charges within Lake County.
Published: Aug 8, 2026 10:20 am