Two people were arrested after a chase Wednesday evening over the roads and through a swampy area of Bradford County that required a rescue of a Department of Corrections K-9 team.
Officials said police were pursuing Lemuel Cooper on outstanding warrants when the suspect vehicle crashed into a Starke police cruiser. Cooper and driver Joshua Hutchinson took off on foot.
Police, deputies and the DOC tracking team followed the men into a swampy area.
Cooper and Hutchinson were found late Wednesday night using an infrared camera in an Alachua County Sheriff's Office helicopter. They were arrested and face a variety of charges, including assaulting the police dog.
During the search for the fugitives, two officers and their *lo**hound became lost when the sun went down and they were caught without flashlights or radios. They were hoisted out of the swamp by a Coast Guard helicopter early Thursday morning.
The officers were treated for heat exhaustion, dehydration and injuries sustained in the search.