Ocala Police Involved in High-Speed Chase, Suspect Charged After Attempting to Ram Officers and Pedestrian
A routine response to a suspicious person call at a local Christian school quickly escalated into a high-speed chase and an officer-involved shooting on Sunday morning, leading to the arrest of a 61-year-old Ocala woman.
At approximately 8:20 a.m. on September 22, Ocala Field Training Officer Mercer and Trainee Officer Vanhoose responded to a report of a suspicious individual at First Assembly of God Christian School, located at 1827 NE 14th St. Upon arrival, they encountered Linda Vaughn, standing near a red Ford SUV. As officers approached, Vaughn entered her vehicle and fled the scene, setting off a dangerous pursuit.
According to police, Vaughn’s erratic driving posed an immediate threat to public safety. She nearly collided with another vehicle while fleeing the school and continued to drive recklessly through city streets, running red lights and swerving into oncoming traffic. The situation reached a critical point at the intersection of NE 25th Ave. and NE 14th St., where Vaughn reportedly attempted to strike a pedestrian in the crosswalk at high speed.
The pursuit came to a temporary halt at Darrell’s Diner, located at 5125 E Silver Springs Blvd, around 8:26 a.m. Officers positioned their patrol car behind Vaughn’s vehicle and prepared to make an arrest, but she accelerated and rammed the police vehicle multiple times, nearly hitting the officers in the process. In response, the officers opened fire at Vaughn’s vehicle. Vaughn sped off toward the rear of the parking lot, where she crashed into a fence.
Despite the gunfire and collision, Vaughn managed to turn her vehicle around and drive back toward the officers. Officers fired at her vehicle again before Vaughn struck a parked car. A Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived on the scene and successfully pinned Vaughn’s vehicle, bringing the chase to an end.
Vaughn sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. No officers were injured during the incident.
Following an interview with Ocala PD Detective Thomas, Vaughn was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding, and resisting arrest with violence. She was transported to Marion County Jail and remains in custody.
In line with standard procedure, the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave while the incident undergoes investigation.
The Ocala Police Department has not released further details as the investigation is ongoing.
