NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A 33-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after police said he struck a North Miami Beach police vehicle and then fled the scene.
His three children were inside his vehicle at the time, authorities said.
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According to the suspect’s arrest report, the crash occurred just before 7:45 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Northeast 14th Avenue and 182nd Street.
North Miami Beach police said a detective was heading east on 182nd Street, approaching 14th Avenue in his undercover police vehicle, when he had to abruptly come to a stop because a red Jeep Cherokee had failed to come to a complete stop at the intersection.
According to the report, Dieuseul Nathan Meilleur, of Miami, was driving the Jeep and began yelling at the detective.
Police said he then accelerated the SUV and struck the passenger side rear fender and bumper of the detective’s vehicle.
According to the report, the detective exited his vehicle and approached Meilleur, who yelled at him, claiming that the detective was speeding and almost killed his kids.
Police said Meilleur said he was going to call the police, at which time the detective identified himself as a police officer and brandished his police badge while holding his department-issued handheld radio.
Meilleur then swerved his Jeep around the detective’s car and fled the scene at a high rate of speed, authorities said.
Police said Meilleur was pulled over and detained in the area of Northeast 18th Avenue and 186th Street.
According to the report, Meilleur resisted arrest by “tensing, bracing and pulling while backing away,” causing him to stumble to the ground over a concrete curb that was behind him.
Police said Meilleur continued resisting and was “dry-stunned” with a Taser.
According to the report, a 1-year-old child was found laying in the backseat of the Jeep without a child restraint. Police said a 7-year-old child was sitting in the front passenger seat and another 7-year-old was sitting on the center console.
The children’s mother was called and she responded to the police station to pick her children up, authorities confirmed.
According to the report, Meilleur did not wish to speak with detectives.
He was arrested on charges of child abuse/neglect, leaving the scene of a crash, fleeing and eluding a police officer and resisting an officer without violence.