CLEARWATER, Fla. — A Florida teen was arrested a second time Wednesday after running handcuffed along the beach, having escaped from a police cruiser when someone opened the back door to the vehicle as officers dealt with unruly spring break crowds.
The great spring break escape did not last long for Dominic Glass, 18, who was taken into custody again shortly after a widely viewed video showed him running with his hands cuffed behind his back down Clearwater Beach.
“Everybody thinks it’s funny, everybody thinks it’s a joke. This is not a joke,” Rob Shaw, police spokesman, told WFLA. “I mean, these are unruly people out there behaving in inappropriate ways on the beach.”
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Officers were dealing with disorderly conduct issues involving crowds of young beachgoers when a fight started around 6:53 p.m., the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Officers separated the crowds and took Glass into custody and placed him in the back of an SUV. While an officer walks around to the driver side, someone opens the back door and Glass runs out, the video shows.
A crowd runs and cheers as Glass makes his dash. He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and escape.
You may have seen the video. Here's the handcuffed suspect who tried to flee from police on the beach. Dominic Glass has been charged with escape, disorderly conduct and resisting an officer without violence. pic.twitter.com/K38xhcr4gJ
— Clearwater Police Department (@myclearwaterPD) March 18, 2021
Ultimately, 26 officers responded and made four arrests at the beach including one person who was charged with battery on a police officer, WTVT reported.
A fifth person, Adam Asad, 18, of Oldsmar, was arrested Thursday and charged with aiding escape and resisting arrest without violence, WTVT reported.
Adam Asad, 18, of Oldsmar is the suspect who helped a handcuffed prisoner to escape on the beach. He faces two charges -- aiding prisoner escape and resisting arrest without violence. He bragged he was going to be famous for his actions. Now he's been taken to jail. pic.twitter.com/xoXLFUzHGh
— Clearwater Police Department (@myclearwaterPD) March 18, 2021
Investigators said Asad reportedly wrote, “I opened that door lol” on social media, the Times reported.
“While many of the young adults in the video think this is funny, it has turned what would have been a very minor violation to one that will have severe consequences,” Clearwater Police Chief Dan Slaughter told WTVT.
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