MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Just 16 seconds passed between a Marion County deputy opening the door of his patrol car and a woman driving off with it, body camera video released by the agency showed.
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The woman, identified as 33-year-old Kendra D. Boone, jumped through the open passenger side window while the deputy was walking around the back of the car to speak with her Thursday.
His efforts to stop Boone from driving off with the car failed. She led deputies on a four-and-a-half mile chase down State Road 40 before crashing into a pickup truck, killing herself and two people in the truck, deputies said.
“My deputy did absolutely nothing wrong,” Sheriff Billy Woods told reporters during a Friday press conference when asked about the deputy leaving the car running. “She went through the window. And you saw how fast that happened… Even my 34 years of experience that would have happened to me.”
Read: Woman crashes Marion County patrol car she stole, killing herself & 2 others
Woods said the deputy was called to the Forest Shopping Center for a report of a woman trying to steal another woman’s car keys.
When he arrived, Boone approached his car – as if she was the one who called them out.
Woods said all the deputy knew was there was a suspect and a caller, and the general situation.
Read: FHP: 3 killed, 1 critical after crash involving stolen Marion County patrol car, pickup truck
“Contrary what television series out here show you, we’re not God and we do not know what people are thinking,” Woods said. “We do not know what we’re about to get into, but this individual decided to do what she did, and ended up the result of killing two innocent individuals.”
He added that there was a long gun in the car, making Boone a threat to the public and justifying the ensuing chase.
Boone has a lengthy criminal record in multiple counties, but most of the charges are for theft more than a decade ago. She spent several years behind bars for fleeing and eluding deputies in 2021, court records show.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers are investigating the crash. The identities of the victims have not been released.
Read: Police: Driver of Jeep dies after colliding with BMW, Kia in St. Cloud
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