| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: LYNN, KURT 0349 (AR09107224) ON 011709, CITRUS COUNTY RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE MARION COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ADVISING THEY WERE FOLLOWING AND ATTEMPTING TO STOP A BLACK GMC PICKUP TRUCK BEARING A FLORIDA TAG OF W15-6XZ, TRAVELING SOUTH INTO CITRUS COUNTY FROM MARION COUNTY ON US HIGHWAY 41. THE MARION COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE DUNNELLON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OFFICERS FROM THE CITY OF OCALA POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE BLACK PICKUP TRUCK SINCE AN OCALA POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER HAD ENCOUNTERED THE PICKUP TRUCK ON STATE ROAD 40, TRAVELING WESTBOUND IN EASTBOUND LANES AT SPEEDS OF UP TO NINETY MILES PER HOUR (MPH,) ALMOST STRIKING OTHER VEHICLES HEAD ON. MULTIPLE AGENCIES HAD ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE BLACK PICKUP TRUCK WHEN IT ENTERED CITRUS COUNTY AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED, DRIVING ERRATICALLY AND ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROADWAY. I AWAITED THE VEHICLE AT THE INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD 486 AND US HIGHWAY 41 WHILE BLOCKING THE INTERSECTION TO KEEP OTHER DRIVER'S FROM BEING HURT BY THE RECKLESS DRIVING OF THE BLACK PICKUP TRUCK. THE VEHICLE PASSED BY MY LOCATION AT 86 MPH IN A POSTED 35 MPH SPEED ZONE WITHOUT ITS HEADLIGHTS ON. I IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT GETTING TOO CLOSE OR ACTIVATING MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS. I OBSERVED THE VEHICLE TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON US HIGHWAY 41, ALMOST STRIKING A SEMI HEAD ON, DRIVING ON AND OFF THE ROADWAY AND TURNING ITS HEADLIGHTS ON AND OFF. AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE VEHICLE WAS MADE BY DEPUTY SMOLENSKY WITH THE PLACEMENT OF STOP STICKS. THE VEHICLE DID STRIKE THE STOP STICKS WITH IT TWO FRONT TIRES. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED SOUTH FROM THAT POINT AT A SLOWER RATE OF SPEED AND NEAR SPORTSMAN'S POINT, THE VEHICLE SLOWED, ALMOST STOPPING, WITH THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR PARTIALLY OPENING WHICH APPEARED THAT THE DRIVER WAS GOING TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, CONTINUING SOUTH ON US HIGHWAY 41, RUNNING OFF BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES OF THE ROADWAY AND ALMOST STRIKING SEVERAL VEHICLE HEAD ON AS IT ENTERED THE CITY OF INVERNESS. THE VEHICLE STRUCK THE CENTER MEDIAN AND SEVERAL TRAFFIC SIGNS AS IT ENTERED THE INTERSECTION OF STATE ROAD 44/US HIGHWAY 41/MAIN STREET. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE MEDIAN, PLANTS AND NUMEROUS ROAD SIGNS. THE VEHICLE THEN CONTINUED EASTBOUND ON MAIN STREET, THROUGH TOWN, WHILE DRIVING ON FLAT TIRES AND EXPOSED RIMS. THE VEHICLE THEN APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION OF STATE ROAD 44 EAST AND US HIGHWAY 41 AT HIGHLAND BOULEVARD, THEN TURNED LEFT GOING EAST TOWARD SUMTER COUNTY. THE VEHICLE SLOWED TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET EAST OF US HIGHWAY 41, IN FRONT OF SUPERIOR BANK, JUST PRIOR TO THE RAILS TO TRAILS OVERPASS. AT THAT TIME, THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE, RAN ACROSS THE OVERPASS AND WAS STOPPED BY CANINE UNITS. THE SUSPECT WAS PLACED ON THE GROUND AND HE DID NOT FOLLOW ORDERS, IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH, TO PLACE HIS HANDS BEHIND HIS BACK AND RESISTED HAVING HIS ARMS PLACED BEHIND HIS BACK. HAND RESTRAINTS WERE EVENTUALLY PLACED ON THE SUSPECT'S WRISTS WITH MY ASSISTANCE. AT THAT TIME, I SMELLED ALCOHOL COMING FROM THE SUSPECT AND UPON BEING BROUGHT TO HIS FEET, HE DISPLAYED POOR BALANCE, STATING HE JUST WANTED TO GO HOME. HE WAS SECURED IN A DEPUTY'S PATROL VEHICLE AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT NUMEROUS CITRUS COUNTY UNITS FOLLOWED AND PURSUED THE SUSPECT'S VEHICLE WITH LIGHTS AND SIRENS ACTIVATED. AT THE DETENTION FACILITY, THE SUSPECT DID PERFORM THE BREATH ALCOHOL TEST ON A CERTIFIED INTOXILYZER WITH A CERTIFIED OPERATOR WHICH GAVE RESULTS OF .191 WHICH IS TWO AND ONE HALF TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT OF .08. WHILE ON VIDEO AT THE DETENTION FACILITY, IN THE BREATH TEST ROOM, THE SUSPECT DID ADMIT TO DRINKING AND TAKING COCAINE EARLIER IN THE EVENING. THE DEFENDANT'S MICHIGAN DRIVER'S LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED ON 062508 AND THEN EXPIRED ON 123108. THE DEFENDANT HAS TWO PRIOR DUI'S FROM MICHIGAN; ONE ON 082207 AND THE OTHER ON 090707 ALONG WITH SEVERAL other TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS WHICH INCLUDE OPEN CONTAINER. THE DEFENDANT WAS ISSUED SEVERAL FLORIDA UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATIONS FOR DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED WITH KNOWLEDGE; WILLFUL RECKLESS DRIVING; FLEEING AND ATTEMPTING TO ELUDE POLICE OFFICERS WHILE LIGHTS AND SIRENS WERE ACTIVATED WHILE IN HIS VEHICLE; DRIVING WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT; DRIVING ON A FLORIDA ROADWAY ON HIS RIMS DAMAGING THE ROADWAY; FLORIDA DUI UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION 2164-XBG, FOR DUI; AND 2165-XBG, FOR DUI WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE. BOND SET PER SCHEDULE. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THE MARION COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ADVISED THEY WILL CHARGE THE DEFENDANT WITH SEPARATE CHARGES FROM THEIR COUNTY AND WILL APPLY FOR MARION COUNTY WARRANTS FOR THE ARREST OF THE DEFENDANT. *NOT-EXEMPT* |
