Driver Throws Food, Knife While Fleeing Trooper

[jnelsoninjax]

A New Port Richey man faces multiple charges after a Florida Highway Patrol trooper noted he was not wearing a seatbelt.

According to an arrest report, the trooper could see the seatbelt dangling in the retracted position while driving near the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Mile Stretch Drive at 12:49 p.m. in New Port Richey on Thursday. But things took a strange turn as the driver passed his patrol vehicle.

The driver, Isidro Martinez, stared at the trooper and "began to laugh uncontrollably," pointing at him.

When the trooper attempted to pull him over, Martinez continued to drive, then suddenly stopped "in an attempt for me to crash my patrol vehicle into his vehicle," according to the FHP trooper's report.

Martinez then threw a bag of food out of his window toward the patrol vehicle and continued driving, the report stated.

As the pursuit continued, Martinez began waving a knife out of the driver's side window, then threw it at the patrol car. He then ran a red light in his continued attempt to flee the trooper. He stopped briefly and rummaged in his car, then threw "what appeared to be a pack of cans" at a person sitting on a bench, then continued driving, running another red light on State Road 54, the report stated.

Martinez continued to drive erratically, with "wanton and willful disregard for human life and property," according to the report. As the trooper continued pursuit, Martinez attempted to run him off the road and continued running red lights and traveling on the wrong side of the roadway on Troublecreek Boulevard.

The trooper eventually performed a successful immobilization technique near the intersection of Troublecreek and Vorhees Road, stopping Martinez's white four-door vehicle. Martinez crawled out of the driver's side window and approached the trooper?who had his gun drawn?in a threatening manner, the report stated.

After noting that Martinez did not have a weapon in his hands, the trooper drew back his gun and pushed Martinez back toward his vehicle, where two responding Pasco Sheriff's deputies tased him, the report stated.

Martinez continued to resist arrest after being tased, according to the report.

Martinez, 38, of 4601 Rowe Drive in New Port Richey, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, DUI, throwing a deadly missile, obstructing an officer without violence and fleeing/eluding at high speed. He remained in the Land O' Lakes jail on Friday in lieu of $30,150 bond.

Source

[Growled Member]

Ah, another case of bath salts, I presume.