CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) – Clearwater police say a video that’s circulating on social media is not a laughing matter. It shows a man being let out of a patrol car on Clearwater Beach, running away handcuffed as the crowd cheers him on.
The video was captured on Wednesday night after police responded to the beach to break up a disturbance.
Clearwater Police Department spokesman Rob Shaw says some are treating this as a joke.
“Everybody thinks it’s funny, everybody thinks it’s a joke. This is not a joke,” Shaw added. “I mean, these are unruly people out there behaving in inappropriate ways on the beach.”
He says it’s disappointing that so many are sharing and commenting on social media.
“It’s not a joke to us, it’s not a laughing matter. It’s not about page clicks and page views and social media,” Shaw said. “This is about people violating the law and then flouting it.”
Police caught up with the teenage fugitive within seconds. Dominic Glass, 18, of Land O’ Lakes is now facing charges for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and escape.
On Thursday evening, police arrested Adam Asad, 18, of Oldsmar. He is the one accused of opening the patrol car door allowing Glass to escape.
According to police, Asad bragged he was going to be famous for his actions and is now facing charges for aiding escape and resisting arrest without violence.
Glass made his first appearance before a judge on Wednesday afternoon. The judge instructed him that if he does post bond he cannot go back to Clearwater Beach during spring break.