Police Report: On 03/04/24 at approximately 5:50 PM, while traveling west on SR 50 (Cortez Blvd), I observed a black motorcycle being driven by a white male, later identified as the defendant, Mr. David J. Crawford, with a female passenger. They were traveling a short distance ahead of me. As the defendant approached the intersection of County Road 585 (Barclay Ave), I observed the defendant make a left turn onto Barclay Ave, running through a steady red turn signal. At that time, I activated my emergency lights and sirens and proceeded through the intersection, positioning my patrol vehicle behind the defendant. I then attempted to conduct a traffic stop and made verbal announcements from my PA speaker system for the defendant to pull over. The defendant made no attempt to stop and made a left turn onto Irving St, where he began to accelerate at high speed away from me. At that time, I believed the defendant was attempting to flee and activated both my lights and sirens, advising dispatch that I was in pursuit. The def. continued east on Irving Street, making no attempt to stop. I observed the def. look back at me several times as he continued to flee. The def. continued in an eastern direction through the intersection of Irving St and Boatwright Road, disregarding the stop signs at that location. The defendant traveled east on Highfield Road, and as he attempted to make a left turn onto Arizona St, he failed to maintain control of the motorcycle, resulting in both him and the passenger falling off. However, both subjects attempted to get up and run in a western direction. I then exited my patrol vehicle with my firearm pointed at the def. and his passenger, advising them to get on the ground. Initially, the defendant complied, but after a short time, he made several attempts to get off the ground and would not place his hands behind his back, at which time I transitioned to my Taser. A short time later, I was able to place the defendant in handcuffs. The female passenger was also detained with handcuffs, double-locked behind her back, without incident. Due to my portable radio falling out of my holster, I was not immediately able to contact dispatch. A short time later, I retrieved my radio and provided dispatch with relevant information. Multiple backup units arrived shortly after and helped secure the scene. A post-Miranda interview was conducted with the def, who agreed to speak with me, resulting in the following information: The def. advised he fled from me because he was scared due to not having a valid DL. He also advised he possessed marijuana and methamphetamine, which were located in a small black backpack hanging on the left handlebar. The defendant also stated that the passenger made several attempts to get him to stop; however, he continued to flee, advising he was “trying to stop” prior to crashing. A probable cause search of the motorcycle revealed the following: - A black backpack attached to the left handlebar. - 9.8 grams of suspected methamphetamine were located in the black backpack. - 1 gram of marijuana. - 2 glass pipes with suspected methamphetamine inside. Based on the defendant's statements and my training and experience, I believe the crystal-like substance inside the defendant’s black backpack and glass pipes was consistent with methamphetamine. The suspected substances were tested using separate agency-issued test kits and yielded positive results for the presence of methamphetamine. The suspected marijuana was also tested using an agency-issued test kit and yielded positive results for an illegal amount of THC. The results of my investigation revealed the following: - The defendant was in actual possession of the black backpack used to store contraband and claimed ownership. - The defendant was aware the substances were methamphetamine and marijuana. - The defendant possessed no medical marijuana card. - The defendant deliberately fled from this trooper. - The defendant was in actual possession of the glass pipes used to store methamphetamine. The defendant was later transported to Brooksville Regional Hospital, where he was medically cleared. The defendant was then transported to the Hernando County Detention Facility on the following bond/charges: - Possession of drug paraphernalia: $500 - Possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana: $500 - DWLS knowingly: $500 - Flee/elude with disregard to persons/property: no bond Total bond: no bond / $4,000 per bond schedule. ✅ This channel features real event footage from the Florida Highway Patrol, captured through body cams and dash cams. Our videos provide an unfiltered look at the daily duties and challenges faced by state troopers on Florida's roads. Subscribe to stay informed about the vital work of the Florida Highway Patrol and gain insight into their commitment to public safety. NOTE: This channel is NOT affiliated with the Florida Highway Patrol. All videos featured are obtained via Public Records Request.