A traffic stop in Dallas escalated when a handcuffed suspect, Stacey Huffman, 37, allegedly escaped his restraints and stole a police cruiser with an officer inside. The incident occurred on May 30 around 5:35 p.m. in the 2300 block of South Marsalis Avenue. Body camera footage shows Huffman slipping his hand out of the handcuffs and attempting to open the locked rear door of the patrol car as officers transported him to jail.
At approximately 6:10 p.m., officers stopped the vehicle on Interstate 35 to further restrain Huffman. As both officers exited the vehicle, Huffman climbed into the driver's seat and drove away, with one officer managing to enter the back seat before the vehicle sped off. Despite deploying a Taser, the officer was unable to subdue Huffman, who continued to accelerate.
During the incident, the officer shouted for Huffman to stop the car and eventually struck him on the head with his duty weapon. Huffman opened the driver's-side door while traveling at about 50 mph and jumped from the moving vehicle after approximately 30 seconds of control. The patrol car traveled roughly 1,000 feet before the officer regained control, avoiding a crash. Both Huffman and the officer were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Huffman is expected to face multiple charges, including driving while license invalid and escape from custody. The investigation is ongoing.
