SEBASTIAN, Fla. (WFLA) — A dramatic incident unfolded in Sebastian, Florida, when a man crashed through a ceiling while trying to evade police. The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office reported that the man had barricaded himself inside a home on November 3.
Authorities were alerted by license plate readers about a stolen Ford F-350 traveling west. The vehicle had been reported stolen from Osceola County on October 19.
Through diligent investigation, the IRCSO Real Time Crime Center identified the driver as 37-year-old Keith Rodgers.
The sheriff’s office confirmed Rodgers’ identity after he made a purchase at a local Home Depot in Sebastian, still using the stolen truck.
Deputies tracked down the vehicle to a driveway, where they observed the suspect unloading lumber from the truck. Upon noticing the officers, Rodgers fled into the residence.
According to the IRCSO, Rodgers then barricaded himself inside the home, ignoring repeated commands from law enforcement.
“Due to his extensive criminal history and previous statements that he would get into a shootout before going back to jail, SWAT and Crisis Negotiators were deployed,” IRCSO said.
After a standoff that lasted several hours, Rodgers fell through the ceiling “into the arms” of SWAT members, IRCSO said.
According to body camera footage of the incident, Rodgers was charged with grand theft auto and resisting an office without violence.
