Florida man drives golf cart into Walmart, rams into several customers before crashing into cash register
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA: A Florida man who injured several customers after driving a golf cart through the front doors of a Hillsborough County Walmart has been arrested.
The same store was evacuated a day after the El Paso Walmart shooting after a man phoned the establishment to warn an employee he was five minutes away and was going to "shoot up the building", Daily Mail reports.
56-year-old Michael Dale Hudson burst through the entrance of the supermarket on Gibsonton Drive and was caught on camera narrowly avoiding an elderly civilian before two deputies chased after him on foot.
One of the police officers chasing Hudson was armed with a stun gun and was seen pointing it at him.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff Department, the shocking joyride endangered the lives of several shoppers before eventually coming to a halt after crashing into a cash register.
At about 12.30 pm Thursday, police responded to reports of a man on a golf cart blocking the entry to the Walmart's liquor store and refusing to budge until he could speak to a manager.
When deputies arrived at the scene to and try and talk to Hudson, he took off on the cart without prior warning.
The deranged individual sped through a crowded pedestrian area just outside the supermarket before crashing through its glass doors.
He continued to accelerate towards the checkout counters of the store and ultimately rammed head-first into a cashier's desk.
The crash caused multiple injuries to Hudson, who was subsequently taken to Tampa General Hospital for medical attention.
Several customers had to be treated for injuries after being clipped by the vehicle during his joyride.
However, nobody was seriously hurt.
Speaking to WFTS-TV, shopper Brandon Daniels said he had to dodge the golf cart to save himself. "[It was] either the exit sign or the sporting goods section to get a weapon, I didn't know," he said. "It's something you would not expect."
Jason Waldrop, a witness, said the suspect was allegedly having trouble breathing following the crash. "Not only did he put his own self in danger, he also put the people around him in danger and it could have been my three-year-old," he said.
That said, it is unclear if cops used the stun gun on Hudson.
Nonetheless, he was later booked into Hillsborough County Jail on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, resisting arrest, and criminal mischief.
He is currently being held in lieu of a $5,000 bail bond.