This is the moment a robbery suspect rams two police cars while evading arrest before jumping in a river and attempting to swim from the cops.

The incident took place in Volusia County in the US state of Florida just before 2pm on 13th October.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office shared the footage on social media on 14th October with the message: “A suspect sought by the US Marshals Service on a federal arrest warrant was taken into custody in the Intracoastal Waterway on Wednesday afternoon after he fled from law enforcement through the New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater areas, rammed two law enforcement vehicles and eventually jumped into the river to make an attempt at swimming away.”

The police said that Edward A. Sotelo, 51, was in the water for nearly 20 minutes before surrendering to officers on a US Coast Guard boat, adding that a local boater helped to guide officers to the suspect’s location in the water.

The police said Sotelo was reluctant to come out of the river and be placed under arrest, as seen in the footage.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said: “The incident started shortly before 2 pm when a Daytona Beach Police Department officer assigned to the US Marshals Task Force advised he was driving behind Sotelo, who had an active federal warrant for violation of probation on a prior armed robbery charge.

“Sotelo also had open warrants out of Orange County for fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, grand theft and retail theft, and was identified as a suspect in a series of retail thefts across Florida.”

When the suspect noticed he was being followed by the police, he attempted to flee and rammed the Daytona Beach officer’s vehicle and another patrol car before speeding off.

The police said he drove to a mobile home park in Edgewater where he “bailed out and jumped in the river”.

A female passenger remained in the vehicle and was taken into custody without further incident.

The woman, named as Melissa Anderson, had two active warrants issued in Brevard County for DUI and possession of a controlled substance.

The police said: “Sotelo was arrested on his warrants and also charged with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude with property damage, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, driving with a suspended license, and resisting an officer without violence.

“A search of the female passenger, Melissa Anderson (DOB 4/13/1989), revealed 0.5 grams of heroin in her bra and a syringe in her purse, and she was additionally charged with possession of heroin, possession of paraphernalia and resisting an officer without violence.”

The two suspects remain in police custody in Volusia County. Sotelo has no bond while Anderson has a bond of USD 19,000.

The investigation continues.