The West Palm Beach Police Department said Wednesday they are investigating the death of a suspect who attempted to elude law enforcement in multiple jurisdictions after being involved in a hit-and-run crash, attempting to commit a robbery and resisting arrest overnight.
Police said at 1:11 a.m., Boynton Beach police attempted to stop a vehicle, which fled from its officers and was last seen heading north on I-95 near Gateway Boulevard.
At 1:21 a.m., West Palm Beach police said the same vehicle was involved in a hit and run with injuries near the intersection of Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard and N. Tamarind Avenue.
Investigators said the suspect's vehicle, a 2016 Red Nissan Rogue, was traveling north, ran a red light and collided with a westbound vehicle.
The victim of the hit-and-run crash was transported to a local hospital and is expected to recover.
The driver, who was later identified as Omar Shado Stevens, 28, of Delray Beach, then fled the scene on foot northbound along N. Tamarind Ave. in West Palm Beach, where police said he attempted to rob a person of their cellphone by implying that he had a knife.
Minutes later, West Palm Beach officers found Stevens along the 1100 block of 15th St.
As officers spoke with Stevens, who was bloody, he remained seated along the sidewalk awaiting medical treatment that was requested by police.
After a few minutes, police said Stevens attempted to leave the scene and resisted officers with violence, refused to comply and refusing to be handcuffed, according to West Palm Beach Sgt. David Lefont.
Police said a struggle ensued and a stun gun was deployed. Stevens was treated at the scene by medics and taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead at 2:38 a.m.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office is investigating.
The officers involved in the incident are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard operating procedure.
Records from the Florida Department of Corrections show Stevens was previously arrested in Palm Beach County on drug and gun charges in December 2008 and July 2013.
State records show he was released from prison earlier this year on Feb. 13.
