Three Santa Rosa Deputies Injured in Gulf Breeze Pursuit, Suspect Detained

A 26-year-old man is in custody after leading Santa Rosa County Sheriff's deputies on a chase that left three officers injured Tuesday morning. John Charles Newell III was driving a white U-Haul pickup truck through residential lawns on Tibet Drive in Gulf Breeze around 11:22 a.m. when deputies arrived to investigate, according to a sheriff's office news release.

When deputies made contact with Newell, he drove away from the scene, injuring officers in the process and prompting a pursuit. During the chase, Newell rammed a deputy's vehicle near Highway 98 and Kell Road, disabling that patrol car and injuring the deputy inside. The U-Haul eventually lost control on East Bay Boulevard, where Newell abandoned the truck and fled on foot before being apprehended by responding deputies.

All three injured deputies were transported to a local hospital and are listed in stable condition, the sheriff's office said. The incident remains under investigation, with additional details expected as the case develops.