Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a man after he battered an ride share driver, stole his vehicle, and crashed it into light poles.
At approximately 12:18 am on 12/21/23, Leo Paul Bradley, 26, punched his driver in the 3500 block of 1st Street West because he refused to pay in advance for a ride from Bradenton to Tampa. During the altercation, Bradley knocked the driver (victim) to the ground and stole his vehicle. Deputies spotted the stolen SUV within minutes of the report fleeing eastbound on Manatee Avenue West.
A pursuit was initiated, and the suspect (Bradley) switched directions heading west toward Anna Maria Island, and later struck a deputy’s patrol vehicle. The MCSO helicopter (Watch Unit) followed the SUV as it left the island, nearly colliding with oncoming traffic. Bradley continued to drive erratically to the 6700 block of Manatee Ave. W., where he drove the stolen vehicle into a light pole, knocking the pole into the roadway. He continued east, knocking down another light pole, and coming to a stop in a ditch. Multiple MCSO units surrounded the vehicle. Fire and EMS removed Bradley and transported him to Blake Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
He was arrested for Battery, Motor Vehicle Theft, Accident Involving a Vehicle, and Aggravated Fleeing with Damage. The pursuit covered approximately 20 miles along dry roads with minimal traffic for about 17 minutes. There were no injuries to any MCSO personnel.