The Sebastian Police Department apprehended a 35-year-old man for running away and resisting arrest. This dramatic chase started near the Wells Fargo Bank building and ended at the Sebastian Walmart.
Last Wednesday night, during a routine patrol, a police officer spotted a bicycle without any lights on, riding in the wrong direction on U.S. Highway 1 – heading north in the southbound lane. The officer attempted to stop the bicyclist using the police car’s flashing red and blue lights, but the man did not stop.
The officer then tried to catch the cyclist’s attention by illuminating him with a spotlight, but to no avail. Despite the officer’s repeated calls for him to stop, the man kept pedaling.
The bicyclist, later identified as Steven J. Mackowski of Vero Beach, began to yell back at the officer. He then moved onto the sidewalk, with the officer in pursuit.
The chase escalated as more patrol cars arrived, each activating their sirens and flashing lights to get Mackowski to stop.
Upon reaching the Walmart parking lot, the officer attempted to block Mackowski’s path. But, even with the additional police cruisers, Mackowski managed to dodge them, leading them in a chase around the Walmart parking lot with officers hot on his trail.
Ultimately, the officers had to physically knock Mackowski off his bike to bring him to a stop. They quickly detained him afterward.
Following his arrest, Mackowski was taken to the Sebastian River Medical Center to be medically cleared and transported to the Indian River County Jail. He was held there on a $1,000 bond.
