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Deputies Ask For Help To Locate Fugitive

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By MIKE WELLS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 12, 2008

A wheelie-popping, fence-smashing felon who escaped from two Hillsborough County deputies Thursday night is on the run, authorities say, and they are asking for help finding him.

During a traffic stop, a man wrestled with and pepper-sprayed the deputies, stole a patrol car and dragged one deputy 75 feet before slamming through three fences, authorities said. After crashing the cruiser, he might have stolen a pickup, they said.

Walter John Brois III, 36, of Tampa, is wanted on warrants in four counties, including Hillsborough, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. Authorities say he probably hasn't gone far.
Brois is white, 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds. He has brown hair, blue eyes and a goatee and was wearing a leather jacket and jeans, Carter said.

Since 1995, Brois has been arrested at least two dozen times and has served time twice in a Florida prison on theft and forgery convictions, state records show. He was released from prison in 2002 and three years later was sentenced to five years of probation on convictions for theft and stopping payment on a check to defraud.

Carter gave this account of Thursday's incident:

About 6 p.m., Deputy Kevin Bennett was driving west on Gunn Highway when he spotted a 2007 Honda motorcycle speeding and doing wheelies.

When the motorcycle entered Logan Gate subdivision, Bennett activated his patrol car's emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop. Deputy John Footman was in the area and also activated his lights.
Brois did a U-turn in a yard and lost control of the bike.

When the deputies confronted Brois, he pulled out a chemical agent and sprayed their faces. They managed to handcuff his hands behind his back and put him in the back seat of Footman's patrol car.

The deputies radioed for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. While paramedics treated Bennett and Footman for the chemical agent, sheriff's Cpl. Jean Becker and Deputy Henry Alvarez arrived to assist.

Alvarez saw Brois lying down in the back seat of the patrol unit and complaining of chest pains. He summoned paramedics, and Brois was removed from the car.
Brois shoved the paramedics away, pushed past Alvarez and jumped into the driver's seat of Footman's patrol car. He still was handcuffed but had managed to rotate his arms to his front and could drive.

Alvarez jumped in the driver's side to stop the car, and Footman followed on foot.

After the car rolled about 75 feet, Alvarez fell away and Footman jumped in and tried to remove the keys. As the vehicle approached a utility pole, Footman also fell away.
Brois smashed though three fences and drove to the back of the subdivision, where the car jumped an embankment and he abandoned it.

Shortly afterward, a resident of the subdivision called the sheriff's office to report that someone had stolen his maroon, dual-wheel 1990 Chevrolet pickup.

Deputies found the handcuffs in the park, Carter said.

Alvarez was treated at a local hospital but not admitted, Carter said. Footman was not injured.

There are warrants for Brois in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Orange counties, ranging from felony petty theft, dealing in stolen property, grand theft auto to false imprisonment and kidnapping.

Anyone with information should call the sheriff's office at (813) 247-8200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477.

Reporter Mike Wells can be reached at (813) 259-7839 or mwells@tampatrib .com.

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