Dozens of police cruisers have descended on US 1 near Abbotts Way in St. Johns County searching for a suspect who fled during a traffic stop, officials said Thursday around 5 p.m.
“The subject is possibly violent,” the agency warned. “Please avoid the area. More information will be released when available.”
Witnesses said a male suspect ran into nearby woods after crashing to a halt near train tracks that run alongside the busy stretch.
SJSO released a photo of the man’s vehicle, a white van with at least one disabled tire with its doors open.
The manhunt – which includes helicopters, K-9s, and state troopers — unfolded not far from the area where police shooting of Kristopher Johnson, 43, Tuesday afternoon in a separate incident.
Johnson, who later died, shot at a colleague earlier in the day and refused to surrender after deputies disabled his car with a PIT maneuver.
The Citizen will update this story.
