Man rams police truck, faces felony charge

A 27-year-old man intentionally crashed his car into a police vehicle in Clearwater, Florida. Garrett Burr drove his 2025 Kia Soul into a marked Ford F-150 patrol truck occupied by an officer waiting at a red light around midnight. Burr admitted to officers at the scene that he deliberately aimed his vehicle at the police truck.

The officer sustained minor injuries and was treated and released from Morton Plant Hospital. Burr was arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony under Florida law. This charge carries potential penalties of up to 15 years in prison, 15 years of probation, and a $15,000 fine.

Florida law defines a vehicle used intentionally in a harmful manner as a deadly weapon. To prove aggravated battery in such cases, the state must demonstrate that the occupants of the struck vehicle were at least moved within their car. The officer's minor injuries suggest this element can be met.

If the charge is elevated due to the victim being a law enforcement officer, it could become a first-degree felony with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison. The case is progressing through the Pinellas County court system, with Burr's admission at the scene potentially complicating his defense.