Image Credit: Flagler County Sheriff's Office 
A missing minor was located and two suspects arrested during a wild string of events in Florida this week, authorities say.
The chaotic bust unfolded on Wednesday morning in Flagler County.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) received a call from a concerned citizen about suspicious activity involving a white Ford pickup truck and initiated a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 1.
Rescue of Missing Juvenile Leads to P*d*phile's Arrest, High-Speed Ramming on Florida Highway
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Flagler County Sheriff's deputies pulled over a suspicious pickup truck and found an adult male and two juveniles inside.
One of the minors had been reported missing in another county.… pic.twitter.com/3C4JOsFOwQ
The vehicle was occupied by an adult male and two juveniles, one of whom had been reported missing in St. Johns County, FL.
Deputies placed the rescued minor in a patrol car and continued gathering information.
The adult male, identified as 60-year-old Darnell Hairston, suddenly tried to run away but tripped and fell into the roadway.
During an ensuing struggle, Hairston attempted to grab a deputy’s gun, but he was eventually neutralized and cuffed.
While deputies were distracted by Hairston, the other juvenile, identified as 15-year-old Junior Bishop, jumped into the pickup truck and sped off, narrowly missing a deputy.
During a high-speed pursuit, an FCSO deputy lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a commercial building in the city of Bunnell.
“As the vehicle apprehension neared the Putnam County line, a deputy passed Bishop on the left and got in front of his vehicle in an attempt to stop him. Bishop then briefly entered the eastbound lane into oncoming traffic, then re-entered the westbound lane and purposely rammed into the deputy’s patrol vehicle, causing both vehicles to crash into the wood line and Bishop’s vehicle to roll over,” FCSO explained in a press release.
Bishop was quickly arrested after he exited the wrecked truck and charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, reckless driving, driving without a license, and resisting an officer without violence.
Authorities learned that Hairston is a registered sex offender who was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted on three counts of false imprisonment in 2004. However, he was released early in 2009.
The predator has prior arrests for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary with assault or battery, cruelty toward wife, disorderly intoxication, lewd or lascivious offenses committed upon a child, property damage, and sexual battery.
He is now being held without bond on charges of resisting an officer with violence and attempting to deprive a law enforcement officer of their firearm.
“This was a very suspicious incident that is still under investigation by our detectives, but I am thankful that nobody was seriously hurt and that we were able to recover a missing child from this pervert’s grasp,” said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.
“I also do not understand why a pervert who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2004 was released after only five years in 2009. Clearly, he has not learned anything.”
An investigation is ongoing.
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