PHOTO: SSPCENTRAL
A woman from Texas managed to free herself of handcuffs and stole a patrol unit on September 6, following her chase.
Toscha Sponsler, 33, of Pollok, stole a patrol unit Saturday following a call of a possible shoplifter at Ulta, The Washington Post reported.
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After officers ran her down on foot, Sponsler was cuffed behind her back and seat belted into a patrol unit. In a surprising move, as officers went through her bags of stolen goods, Sponsler removed her seat belt, slipped her cuffs and climbed through a window partition to the driver’s seat.
She then led officers on a 23-minute chase that began at Ulta and ended in Zavalla after a trooper used a PIT maneuver to make her lose control of the vehicle.
Body camera footage shows officers attempting to give chase on foot before having to jump in their cars to pursue Sponsler.
Sponsler nearly had a collision with Lufkin officers and a Huntington constable during the pursuit. Throughout the chase, officers could see her reaching for the shotgun which was mechanically locked to the vehicle.
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She waived medical treatment at the scene and was taken to a County Jail where she remains on a collective $18,000 bond.
Toscha is charged with escape causing serious bodily injury and threat of a deadly weapon, aggravated assault against a public servant, possession of a controlled substance, evading arrest with a vehicle with a previous conviction and unauthorised use of a vehicle.
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