OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Ocala Police Department (OPD) is applauding the efforts of two ‘citizen heroes’ for helping take down a man they’re calling a ‘career criminal.’
Late Wednesday, Oct. 25, OPD released dashcam and bodycam footage of the pursuit and capture of 39-year-old Michael Prouty.
OPD now says Prouty’s dangerous crime spree began even before that. They say he was also involved in a robbery of a 7-Eleven convenience store in the early hours prior to the home invasion.
From The Villages, SCSO says Prouty drove to Ocala in the stolen Cadillac. There OPD officers pursued him. The car chase ended when OPD says Prouty crashed the Cadillac into multiple vehicles at the intersection of North Pine Ave and SR 40, injuring multiple people.
As he tried to run away from the scene of the wreck, OPD says two ‘citizen heroes’ stepped in to help and played a role in ending Prouty’s spree.
Police say the first bystander who intervened was Tom Episcopo. OPD says Episcopo was able to grab ahold of Prouty and slow him down.
From there at 42 seconds into the edited video, you can see on bodycam footage as the ruckus unfolds in the drive-thru at the nearby Starbucks.
Police say Prouty attempted to carjack a woman while she was in the drive-thru. “He’s taking the car. He’s taking that car,” an officer’s voice is recorded on the footage.
It appears the next bystander who jumps in to help was in the vehicle behind the one police say Prouty attempted to steal. He’s seen in the footage attempting to pull Prouty out of the vehicle.
As the video cuts from dashcam to bodycam footage an officer with a weapon drawn is heard shouting, “Show me your hands. Show me your hands.”
The foot chase continues to the backside of the Starbucks. As officers round the corner the footage shows the citizen physically restraining Prouty from behind. An officer commands, “Let him go. Let him go. Let him go,” while another officer instructs Prouty to get on the ground.
The video shows a struggle between officers and Prouty for about 30 seconds. As an officer instructs Prouty to put his hands behind his back another warns that he could be armed, “He might have a gun. He might have a gun. He might have a gun.”
Ultimately, they secure Prouty in handcuffs and get him into the back of a police cruiser. The video ends at one minute and 48 seconds.
OPD did not identify the man who wrangled Prouty behind the Starbucks, detaining him long enough for police to get into position and arrest him.
Police Chief hails heroic actions, invites duo to join police force
In a news release, Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken thanked the two citizens for the role they played in ending the spree. “We are proud of these two citizens for their heroic action, for helping our officers make the arrest, and for keeping our community safe,” said Balken. “We would like to let these heroic citizens know that we are currently hiring police officers, and we invite them to apply to our agency!”
Prouty is currently in the Marion County Jail booked on 14 counts. He’ll also face other charges from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
‘Career of Crime’
The agencies described Prouty as a career criminal. OPD says Prouty was sent to prison in 2017 for six years on burglary and robbery charges. They say he got out of prison in July 2022 on a community release program which he violated and committed more felony crimes in Miami-Dade County. They say he returned to prison to finish his initial sentence and was released in February of this year. From there, they say he was turned over to Miami-Dade jail for the pending felony charges and bonded out in March of this year.
DON’T MISS A STORY: Sign up for our free email newsletter delivered to your email inbox weekdays at 9 a.m.