Police bodycam shows end of wild police chase on the Treasure Coast

A wild police chase ended Sunday night with a Port St. Lucie police K9 tracking down a suspect in a pasture near Tradition.According to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, they were alerted by federal authorities that 31-year-old Varun Maharaj of Trinidad was driving south on I-95 from Volusia County.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsDeputies were told Maharaj was wanted on a list of charges, including armed carjacking and smuggling.Investigators said deputies were waiting and started chasing Maharaj the moment he entered Indian River County.The Sheriff’s Office said the chase reached speeds of 120 mph before Maharaj crashed on I-95 in Port St. Lucie and took off running into the pasture.That is when Officer Mitch Miller joined the chase with his partner, K9 Landi.“There’s thick in some areas, and in some areas, it’s knee-high,” Miller said. “So, it’s not like you can do a full-out sprint.”Around the country: National coverage from WPBF 25 NewsMiller and Landi wound up leading the pursuit, with officers from multiple departments slogging through the brush for about 30 minutes.With help from a Martin County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, they were eventually able to find Maharaj.“At one point, he bedded down behind a tree, and then Martin County kept eyes on him and walked us right in,” Miller said.Miller said he believes any thoughts Maharaj may have had about running again ended when he saw who was making the arrest.“A lot of people are more willing to comply when there’s a dog looking at them, pretty much at eye level, because the guy was sitting down,” Miller said.Maharaj remains in the St. Lucie County jail on additional charges of fleeing and eluding.Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

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