ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A 26-year-old St. Johns County man sought by federal and local agents who said he tried to run over law enforcement officers turned himself in late Friday afternoon.
Andrew Stanton is charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count each of fleeing and attempting to elude and resisting an officer with violence.
Deputies said shots were fired Tuesday while Stanton was driving recklessly, nearly hitting people. They said he raced off, escaping police.
A short time later, investigators said, they spotted him behind the St. Augustine Police Department.
IMAGES: Andrew Stanton's tattoos
"He began fidgeting inside, reaching under the seat for something," Sheriff's Office spokesman Kevin Kelshaw said. "Deputies didn't know if he was going to reach for a gun or what he was doing, so they shined flashlights at it so they could see who the individual was. He put his hands on the steering wheel and raced the vehicle forward towards the deputies."
The deputies were up ahead stopping another vehicle.
Two deputies' cars were right next to each other. Investigators said Stanton tried to drive through the middle of them but the space just wasn't big enough. They said he hit one of the cars, taking the paint off, and then sideswiped the other one, taking off the side mirror.
"As one of the deputies that was there was diving into his car, his foot was struck by the car that was speeding by," Kelshaw said.
Deputies said Stanton was behind the wheel. He's the same man deputies shot in the face in 2008 when he was, once again, running from law enforcement, investigators said.
Then, he was being sought on felony drug charges and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.