Just 16 seconds passed between a Marion County deputy opening the door of his patrol car and a woman driving off with it, body camera video released by the agency showed.
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The woman, identified as 33-year-old Kendra D. Boone, jumped through the open passenger side window while the deputy was walking around the back of the car to speak with her Thursday.
His efforts to stop Boone from driving off with the car failed. She led deputies on a four-and-a-half mile chase down State Road 40 before crashing into a pickup truck, killing herself and two people in the truck, deputies said.
“My deputy did absolutely nothing wrong,” Sheriff Billy Woods told reporters during a Friday press conference when asked about the deputy leaving the car running. “She went through the window. And you saw how fast that happened… Even my 34 years of experience that would have happened to me.”
Read: Woman crashes Marion County patrol car she stole, killing herself & 2 others