Family lends boat to police chase after attempted watercraft theft

Sheriff’s deputies in Florida borrowed a family’s boat to pursue a suspect on a stolen personal watercraft. At around 12:30 p.m. on June 5, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office was called to assist the Ormond Beach Police Department on a theft in progress. According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect, identified as Ronald Williams, had been unable to get the watercraft started, but decided to float away on it anyway. Body-camera video shows the deputies approaching a family who was about to go out boating for the afternoon. They borrow the family’s boat and meet Williams, who was still floating in the Intracoastal Waterway unable to start the watercraft. One deputy is seen drawing his weapon, but when they tell Williams to get over here, he tells the deputies he can’t swim. So you’re gonna take a Jet Ski and you don’t know how to swim? one deputy asks, using another brand name for what appears to be a Yamaha WaveRunner. The deputies throw a line to the stranded suspect, and pull the watercraft to the boat. Williams was taken into custody and the watercraft was returned to its owner, the sheriff’s office said.