Deputies taser man after leap from ambulance; he dies

LAKE CITY

A man died Thursday after deputies stunned him with a Taser when he jumped from an ambulance, authorities said.

A friend of Ashley Ryan Stephens called 911 to request an ambulance, saying her friend was a drug user and was sick. A deputy was sent along with the ambulance crew, which is standard procedure if drugs are involved, said Columbia County Sheriff Bill Gootee.

Once inside the ambulance, Stephens became agitated and combative and kicked out an ambulance window. When the ambulance stopped, Stephens jumped out and ran into the street. He was nearly hit by several cars, Gootee said.

Stephens was stunned twice and handcuffed.

LAUDERHILL

Police: Boy stabbed in eyes by his aunt

A 12-year-old boy was stabbed in both eyes by a family member, police said.

Police say his aunt stabbed him around 1 a.m. Friday but authorities were not notified for another 10 hours.

The cause of the attack and the reason for the delay to contact authorities are not yet known.

But police say the aunt also injured her own eye.

She and the boy are being treated at Broward General Medical Center.

MIAMI

Man injured by long fall on cruise ship

A man was hospitalized after falling five stories onto a lower deck of a cruise ship from Key West.

The man's condition is not yet known. A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokeswoman says he fell from the eighth story onto a wooden deck.

He was taken to the trauma center at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

The Norwegian Cruise Line's Majesty ship was headed to Charleston, South Carolina, when the accident happened.

Witnesses told authorities he seemed intoxicated and was combative when authorities arrived.e_SClBLAKE BUENA VISTA

Woman dies from fall at Disney park ride

A Disney employee died Thursday, five days after falling from a ride platform and hitting her head, park officials and Orange County authorities said.

Karen Price, 63, was hit by one of the moving vehicles and fell from a platform Saturday while working as a ride attendant on the roller coaster Primeval Whirl in Animal Kingdom, officials said.

Disney has reported nine deaths to the state since 2001.

TALLAHASSEE

Highway Patrol gets new director

The Florida Highway Patrol has a new director.

Lt. Col. John T. Czernis will take over December first.

Czernis, who currently serves as interim director, has been with the agency for 30 years.

Czernis began his career in law enforcement in 1974 with the Vero Beach Police Department.

[Last modified November 30, 2007, 22:56:18]