Man crashes into multiple police vehicles during pursuit

A Jacksonville man who has been in jail more than 30 times is back behind bars after crashing into multiple Sheriff's Office vehicles during a pursuit.

The Sheriff's Office said that about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, two officers saw John William Sanford, 52, driving eastbound on West 43rd Street with an inoperable tail light and expired tags. The officers tried to pull him over but said he accelerated and drove into a dead end on Anisa Court.

He tried to make a U-turn, but the officers were able to stop him on the road. An officer held his firearm at Sanford and ordered him to get out of the vehicle. That's when the suspect stepped on the gas and drove toward the officer, according to the arrest report.

The officer jumped out of the way and Sanford crashed into the rear end of the patrol vehicle. Police said he then took off back onto 43rd Street.

Another officer spotted Sanford at Voorhies and Moncrief roads and pursued him. A fourth officer joined the pursuit and tried to stop him on West Eighth Street and the Interstate 95 off-ramp. The report said Sanford turned toward the fourth officer's vehicle, rammed into it and caused the vehicle to flip.

The suspect continued to drive and rammed into a fifth patrol vehicle, according to the report. The third officer who was still pursuing Sanford and was able to spin his vehicle. Police said the suspect tried to drive the wrong way on a ramp but ended up crashing head-on with a seventh patrol vehicle.

That disabled his vehicle, but police said he refused to get out. An officer tried to pull him out and was punched in the face knocking out a tooth. Sanford continued to resist arrest, punching and kicking other officers, police said. Two were injured but they managed to get him in handcuffs.

Police found a glass crack pipe in his pants pocket. Sanford was transported to a hospital and now faces 11 charges, six of which are battery on a law enforcement officer.