A 37-year-old Ocala man is facing felony charges after he admitted to fleeing from an Ocala Police Department officer so that he could be arrested in front of a relative’s house.
On Sunday, October 31, an Ocala Police Department officer was at the 800 block of NW 22nd Street observing traffic with a radar.
The officer saw a Nissan vehicle speeding west at 60 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone. The driver of the vehicle was later identified as Jejuan Martell Cotton.
The officer approached Cotton’s vehicle near the 1500 block of NW 22nd Street and activated the patrol car’s lights.
Cotton stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of NW 16th Avenue and NW 22nd Street before heading south on NW 16th Avenue. The officer watched as Cotton then turned west onto NW 21st Street.
According to the OPD report, once the officer activated the siren, Cotton continued west and reached speeds that were 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
Cotton turned south on NW 24th Road and eventually came to a stop in front of a residence.
Cotton opened the door, swinging his legs outside of the vehicle, but he remained in the driver’s seat.
When asked why he did not stop, Cotton stated that he wanted to be arrested in front of a relative’s house.
A search of Cotton’s vehicle was conducted, and a brown leafy substance was located inside a plastic bag in the center compartment that field tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids.
A check of his driving history also revealed that his driver’s license was suspended in January 2020 for driving under the influence.
Cotton was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $20,000 bond. He faces felony charges for resisting an officer and drug possession, as well as a misdemeanor for driving with a suspended license.
A court date has been scheduled on November 30 at 9:00 a.m., according to jail records.