BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida man arrested on charges he intentionally crashed into a state police cruiser allegedly told police that he did it because he wanted to be taken to jail.
A police report obtained by WPLG said that Trooper Bernex Vincent was working as a detail for a construction zone on Interstate 95 in Broward County. According to the police report, Vincent’s cruiser had its emergency lights on and was parked in a lane closed off by traffic cones and barricades.
Tate Turner is accused of driving a white Subaru and hitting the trooper’s car from behind, WTVJ reported. When Vincent approached Turner’s car, he allegedly was silent for a couple of minutes before saying that he hit the trooper’s car on purpose.
“He hesitated a little bit when he was asked and he paused, and he went ahead and said, ‘I intentionally did this. I wanted to go to jail,’” Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Indiana Miranda told WSVN.
Troopers said that Turner did not appear to be impaired in any way and denied drinking alcohol or taking any drugs in a police report obtained by WTVJ.
In their report, troopers said “(Turner) stated he saw the patrol vehicle and intentional(ly) used his vehicle to strike the patrol vehicle. He stated he wanted to go to jail because he ‘felt like he was already in jail,’” WPLG reported. When officers asked Turner why he felt like he was already in jail, he responded, “It’s a bunch of things,” WPLG reported.
Turner was arrested and faces felony charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to Broward County court records.