PIT maneuver ends chase through Iona neighborhood after suspect rammed modular home with truck

IONA, Fla. —

A man was arrested on Sunday after being accused of intentionally backing his truck into a vehicle and a modular home before fleeing from deputies.

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to reports of an aggravated assault on Timothy Lane in Iona. Witnesses said that Joseph Absalon, 35, got into his truck and recklessly backed it onto a neighboring property, hitting a vehicle and the modular home about five times.

Absalon then drove down the road and stopped in front of a residence, where deputies tried to make contact with him, LCSO said. Instead of cooperating, Absalon fled through the neighborhood, driving recklessly, hitting a street sign and almost crashing into a marked patrol vehicle, all while ignoring emergency lights and sirens.

Deputies used a PIT maneuver to stop Absalon, who was arrested.

He faces charges of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, criminal mischief, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, hit and run and violation of a domestic violence injunction.

“This suspect turned a personal dispute into a violent and dangerous incident that put innocent people at risk,” said Sheriff Carmine Marceno. “Fleeing from deputies will only make a bad situation worse. We will find you, we will detain you, and you will be held accountable for your actions.”

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