Major Accident Investigation Team Investigates Crashes Following Pursuit; Suspects Arrested
Release Number: 09-185
Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
Patrol Operations Bureau
-Major Accident Investigation Team (M.A.I.T.)
-S.T.A.R. Team
Victor Butler Jr. (Arrested Driver)
DOB: 09/10/1987
Address: 2716 1st Avenue South, St. Petersburg
Vehicle: 2001 Chevrolet Malibu
Arrested for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding, DWLSR, attaching tag not assigned, three counts of leaving the scene of a crash, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana.
Jamarcus Waller (Arrested Passenger)
DOB: 05/07/1989
Address: 1827 20th Street South, St. Petersburg
Arrested for possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine, and on an unrelated outstanding warrant for aggravated assault.
Deputy Johnathan Cleary (Deputy vehicle struck by suspect/uninjured)
Age: 29
Hire Date: 08/07/2006
Christopher Fernandez (Driver of 1992 Ford Mustang struck by suspect/uninjured)
DOB: 07/22/1986
Address: 2000 Gandy Boulevard, Apartment 93, St. Petersburg
Lee Harrington (Front Passenger of Mustang/uninjured)
Age: 29
Harrington is a Deputy for Manatee County Sheriff's Office. He was off duty at the time of the crash.
Joshua Hines (Back seat passenger of Mustang/ Injured-non life threatening)
DOB: 03/09/1988
Address: 2000 Gandy Boulevard, Apartment 93, St. Petersburg
Creston Dize (Owner of parked 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee struck by suspect)
DOB: 11/14/1979
Address: 3628 Iris Street North, St. Petersburg
What: The M.A.I.T. team is investigating crashes following a pursuit. S.T.A.R. Team deputies attempted a traffic stop after they observed a vehicle bearing a tag that had been seen on a different vehicle on the previous evening. Deputies ran the tag and determined it was assigned to another vehicle. Deputies initiated a traffic stop at which point the suspect attempted to back his vehicle into a sheriff's deputy cruiser and then proceeded to lead deputies on a pursuit. During the course of the pursuit the suspect struck a deputy cruiser, and two other vehicles. The suspects in the vehicle were subsequently arrested.
Where: The traffic stop was initiated at US 19 and 58th Avenue North. The crashes occurred on US 19 in the area just north of Park Boulevard.
When: The incident occurred at about 8:44p.m. on Wednesday, August 5, 2009.
How/Why: The Major Accident Investigation Team is investigating crashes following a pursuit. Two suspect were arrested.
According to investigators, S.T.A.R. Team deputies were patrolling in the Lealman area when a deputy observed a vehicle bearing a tag that had been seen on a different vehicle on the evening of Tuesday, August 4, 2009. Deputies ran the tag and determined it was assigned to a different vehicle.
Deputies observed the vehicle pull into a gas station at 58th Avenue North and US 19 and initiated a traffic stop.
During the attempt by deputies to conduct the stop, the suspect put his vehicle in reverse and attempted to back his vehicle into a sheriff's deputy cruiser. The suspect then fled from deputies northbound on US 19. Deputies initiated pursuit, during which the suspect vehicle struck the front end of an unmarked cruiser driven by Deputy Johnathan Cleary. This caused the driver of the suspect vehicle to lose control and strike another vehicle, a Mustang driven by Christopher Fernandez, that was in the southbound lane on US19 just north of Park Street. The suspect vehicle continued on and then struck the Jeep Grand Cherokee that was parked in the parking lot of a restaurant located at 7500 Park Boulevard.
The suspects identified as 21-year-old Victor Butler and 20-year-old Jamarcus Waller exited the vehicle and fled on foot. After a short foot pursuit deputies apprehended the suspects.
Butler was arrested for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding, DWLSR, attaching tag not assigned, three counts of leaving the scene of a crash, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana.
Waller was arrested for possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine, and on an unrelated outstanding warrant for aggravated assault.
The rear seat passenger of the Mustang, 21-year-old Joshua Hines, was transported by ambulance to Bayfront Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
No other injuries were reported.
The investigation continues.
To view the suspect booking photo visit www.pcsoweb.com and use the 'Who's In Jail' function.
|