ORLANDO, Fla. – A man drove recklessly through the busy downtown Orlando nightlife scene over the Halloween weekend, hitting several cars and forcing an officer to fire his gun in an attempt to stop him, police said.

The suspect, identified as Cliff Francois, 30, faces numerous charges following the chaotic incident. According to court documents, Francois was supposed to still be on probation for a 2014 armed robbery and is currently involved in a separate criminal case from July.

Downtown Orlando was packed for Halloween events at the time of the incident, and police said they initially approached Francois in a parking lot after noticing he was parked between two spaces. When officers tried to talk to him, Francois sped off, driving the wrong way on Pine Street.

Francois hit two police vehicles, including an officer’s Ford Explorer that had been positioned to block the road and protect pedestrians. According to the arrest report, Francois also drove onto a sidewalk, forcing several people to dive out of the way.

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Jose Torres, an employee at the nearby Corona Cigar Company, said the area was crowded with people dressed in costumes for the Plaza Halloween event. “If you drive a car down that street while protesters or people are out there, you’re taking some lives, so I’m happy they got it under control,” Torres said.

The pursuit ended when Francois crashed into a light pole, abandoned his car and attempted to flee on foot. An officer fired his weapon during the pursuit, but did not hit anyone. Francois was caught, handcuffed and taken to prison.

It wasn’t the first time Francois ran from the police. In July, he led officers on a chase after he was seen driving a car with no license plate and headlights off.

The officer who fired the gun has been placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard protocol, while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates the use of force.

Francois remains in custody while the investigation continues.

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