West Melbourne Police have arrested a suspect in the attempted traffic stop Monday night that resulted in a officer being shot at.
- Suspect Joseph Alan Bellinger arrested
- Bellinger charged w/ attempted felony murder of officer
- Officer was not struck during shooting
Police issued an arrest warrant for suspect Joseph Alan Bellinger and teamed up with Palm Bay Police Department’s SWAT Team to serve a search warrant at 180 District St SE.
Bellinger was taken into custody without incident.
He is being charged with attempted felony murder of an officer, aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated fleeing, trying to elude an officer, and discharging a firearm in public.
According to Capt. Richard Cordeau of the West Melbourne Police Dept, Officer Joseph Jones was trying to stop a White Nissan that was speeding on Sheridan Road around 9:20 p.m. on Monday, just north of U.S. 192, near Wickham Road.
The driver of the car, Bellinger, was clocked at 47 mph in a 30 mph zone. Police say he was driving his girlfriend Amanda Michelle Peacock's car.
The officer turned on the police cruiser's flashing lights and the vehicle turned down Sylvan Drive. Cordeau explained to Spectrum News 13 that Bellinger started shooting multiple times from a white Nissan at the officer’s cruiser.
Officer Jones backed off, but still followed the vehicle, which then sped up, and again more shots were fired at the officer.
Bellinger allegedly got back on Sheridan and got away, but the officer was not injured.
Dash-cam video from Officer Jones' patrol car captured it all. A barrage of gunshots came from the driver's side of a white Nissan, with some of the bullets striking the suspect's own car as they were fired.
The Nissan was found abandoned a couple streets away on Lemon Grove Avenue.
One neighbor we spoke to heard the gunshots, ran outside, and saw part of the chase.
"We have a lot of law enforcement officers that live right in this general vicinity," said Matthew Barber. "It's a very safe neighborhood, this is very uncommon for anything like this to happen."
Bellinger was seen on a home security camera running from the abandoned car left in the middle of the road.
Investigators spoke to Peacock, who is out of the county and is not considered a suspect.
Officer Jones, an 18-year veteran of the force, may be back on duty tonight, but that will be left up to the police chief.