| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: HOWARD, RUSS 0297 (AR15-13347) DID, KNOWING HIS DRIVERâS LICENSE OR DRIVING PRIVILEGE HAD BEEN CANCELLED, SUSPENDED OR REVOKED, DRIVE A MOTOR VEHICLE UPON THE HIGHWAYS OF THIS STATE WHILE SUCH LICENSE OR PRIVILEGE WAS CANCELLED, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 322.34(2). ON 010215, DEPUTY ANSTEAD, PUBLIC SERVICERS OFFICER (PSO) FARRELL, AND I RESPONDED TO A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN FRONT OF WILKINS AUTO, LOCATED AT 1431 WHITE LAKE DRIVE, INVERNESS, FLORIDA. DEPUTY ANSTEAD HAD BEEN ADVISED THAT ONE OF THE DRIVERS WAS CAUSING A PROBLEM ON SCENE AND GIVING THE OTHER DRIVER PROBLEMS. UPON ARRIVAL, I MADE CONTACT WITH THE DRIVER OF ONE OF THE VEHICLES, WHO WAS A WITNESS IN THIS CASE, MS BRANDY WERNICKE. SHE ADVISED THAT THE DEFENDANT, IDENTIFIED BY HIS FLORIDA IDENTIFICATION (ID) CARD AS MR WILLIAM EUGENE FITCHETT, HAD BEEN DRIVING VERY RECKLESSLY ON WHITE LAKE DRIVE AS SHE WAS PROCEEDING WEST. SHE ADVISED THAT SHE SAW HIM DRIVING RECKLESSLY AND THAT SHE STOPPED AND SAW HIM BEGIN TO PUT HIS VEHICLE IN REVERSE. HE THEN BACKED UP INTO THE FRONT OF HER VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT BUMPER OF HER VEHICLE. SHE SAID THAT HE WAS VERY ANGRY AND BEGAN TO YELL AND CAUSE A DISTURBANCE. I MADE CONTACT WITH DEPUTY ANSTEAD, WHO HAD ALREADY MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT. THE DEFENDANT HAD TOLD DEPUTY ANSTEAD THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A LICENSE AND THAT HE ONLY HAD AN ID CARD. A DRIVER'S LICENSE CHECK REVEALED THAT THE DEFENDANT'S LICENSE WAS CURRENTLY SUSPENDED, CANCELED, AND EXPIRED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DEFENDANT WORKED AT WILKINS GARAGE AND THAT HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING ONE OF THE VEHICLES WHEN HE BACKED INTO THE WITNESS'S VEHICLE ON WHITE LAKE DRIVE. UPON COMPLETING THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION, I WENT AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THE PAPERWORK HE WAS GOING TO RECEIVE. I ALSO EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT HE COULD BE ARRESTED BECAUSE HE WAS DRIVING WITH HIS LICENSE SUSPENDED. WHILE I WAS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF EXPLAINING THE PAPERWORK IN REFERENCE TO THE ACCIDENT, HE CAME OVER TO ME, TURNED AROUND AND PUT HIS HANDS BEHIND HIS BACK AND SAID, "THEN JUST FUCKING ARREST ME." HAVING DEALT WITH THE DEFENDANT IN THE PAST AN OBSERVING HIS MANNERISM, HE APPEARED TO BE ON SOME TYPE OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSIBLY METHAMPHETAMINE, DUE TO HIS ERRATIC AND VERY VOLATILE BEHAVIOR. I HANDCUFFED HIM AND HE BEGAN TO GET MORE AND MORE VERBALLY AGGRESSIVE. THE DEFENDANT WANTED ME TO HURRY UP AND TAKE HIM TO "JAIL," BUT I HAD NOT PATTED HIM DOWN YET SO, I PUT HIM ON THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE THAT HE WAS STANDING NEAR TO LIMIT HIS MOVEMENTS AS WELL AS TAKE THE KNIFE THAT HE HAD IN HIS RIGHT POCKET, OFF OF HIM FOR OFFICER SAFETY REASONS. I HAD TO KEEP PUSHING HIM BACK DOWN ON THE TRUNK BECAUSE HE WOULD START TO GET UP OFF OF THE TRUNK. I TOLD HIM SEVERAL TIMES TO PLEASE STAY ON THE TRUNK. HE BEGAN TO GET MORE AND MORE VERBALLY AGGRESSIVE. HE THREATENED ME WITH RETALIATORY VIOLENCE. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT IT WAS A CRIMINAL ACT AND THAT HE COULD POSSIBLY BE CHARGED. HE CONTINUED TO YELL AND SCREAM ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF MY PATROL VEHICLE CALLING ME A "NIGGER." I THEN HAD HIM SIT IN THE REAR SEAT OF MY PATROL VEHICLE, BUT WHEN I TRIED TO SEATBELT HIM IN, HE WENT FORWARD IN THE SEAT SO THAT I COULD NOT DO SO. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF DEPUTY ANSTEAD, I WAS ABLE TO SEATBELT HIM IN. HE WAS ADVISED FOR THE REASON OF WHY HE WAS BEING ARRESTED. HE PROCEEDED TO SCREAM AND CURSE AND YELL RACIAL SLURS AT ME ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO THE DETENTION FACILITY. IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THE DEFENDANT WAS ON SOME TYPE OF SUBSTANCE, WHICH WAS CAUSING HIS ERRATIC BEHAVIOR. HE WAS TURNED OVER TO THE DETENTION FACILITY STAFF FOR FURTHER PROCESSING. WHILE AT THE DETENTION FACILITY, THE DEFENDANT WAS ISSUED A CITATION, FOR DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED KNOWINGLY WITH AN OUT OF CUSTODY COURT DATE ON 012215 AT 1300 HOURS, AT THE CITRUS COUNTY COURT HOUSE. HE WAS ALSO ISSUED TWO OTHER CITATIONS INVOLVING THE VEHICLE CRASH. AN IN-CAR VIDEO WAS RECORDED OF THE TRANSPORT TO THE DETENTION FACILITY. THIS VIDEO WILL BE TURNED IN TO EVIDENCE. |
