A convicted bank robber with warrants out for his arrest wasn’t ready to go to prison without some kind of fight. Bodycam footage released by Volusia County Sheriff’s Office shows Melbourne resident Edward Sotelo ramming police cars and jumping into the Intracoastal Waterway in an attempt to flee from police.
Police say the spotted Sotelo on I-95 near New Smyrna Beach. After they boxed his truck in, Sotelo rammed both vehicles repeatedly until he could escape.
Officers incredulous response to Sotelo’s eventual escape plan, bailing out of his vehicle and diving into the river, can be heard on the bodycam footage.
“Are you going to swim to us man? You got caught. It’s over. You are not going to get out of this,” they said. “You are going to jail. You are going to prison. You are going to federal prison.”
Sotelo eventually swam to a waiting Coast Guard boat, giving up once he was promised a cigarette.
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This article appears in Oct 13-19, 2021.