Officers said someone called 911 Sunday morning when a man showed up at the gatehouse of the Country Club Hills community across from The Villages Regional Hospital. The community surrounds the Orange Blossom Hills Golf and County Club and The Villages Water Tower.
According to police, the person on the phone said there was a man at the gatehouse who stated that "people were eating his brains out," then took off running.
Police said the man, 29-year-old Jessie Webb, then stole a company vehicle and drove off. At least two officers chased Webb as he drove onto and through a golf course, narrowly missing a woman who was about to putt on the 16th hole, police said.
The woman told officers that it looked like Webb was coming "right at her," and she had to jump out of the way as Webb and the stolen vehicle ran over her golf towel just a few feet away, police said.
Webb and the pursuing officers continued to weave from road to golf course as they got closer to The Villages Water Tower, then back onto U.S. 441.
Police said Webb eventually crashed near a nursing home about half a mile away near The Villages Regional Hospital, but he got out of the wrecked car and ran from officers.
When officers caught Webb, he complained of pain in his right calf and was taken to Leesburg Regional Hospital. When the hospital released him, police said a handcuffed Webb tried unsuccessfully to grab an officer’s Taser.
A manager of The Villages said the chase caused thousands of dollars in damages, according to police.
Officers said Webb had a Georgia driver's license, had two active warrants out of Georgia for a probation violation and was carrying a round of rifle ammunition and a shotgun shell during the chase.
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