An 18-year-old Wildwood man was arrested after he fled from several Ocala Police Department officers following an attempted traffic stop in northwest Ocala.
On Wednesday, March 16 at around 11 p.m., an Ocala Police Department officer was patrolling the area of NW Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and NW 10th Street. The officer observed a Chevrolet Malibu that stopped approximately three to five feet past the marked white reflective stop bar at the intersection of NW 9th Avenue and NW 8th Street.
The officer activated the patrol car’s emergency lights and attempted a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle pulled up to a residence located in the 700 block of NW 9th Avenue. When the officer approached the driver’s side door, the driver placed the vehicle in reverse.
While the vehicle was backing up, the officer got a clear look at the driver’s face and recognized him. According to the OPD report, the driver was identified as Niko Valentino Dedaj.
Dedaj drove in reverse for several feet and then cut the steering wheel to the left. He drove through the front yard of the residence and traveled northbound on NW 9th Avenue. Another OPD officer had arrived on scene, and both officers pursued Dedaj’s vehicle.
The OPD report indicated that Dedaj turned onto NW 10th Street, drove at a high rate of speed, and turned southbound onto NW 6th Terrace. He then turned eastbound onto NW 8th Place near N Pine Avenue.
While on N Pine Avenue, the officers reached speeds exceeding 75 miles per hour during the pursuit, and they lost sight of Dedaj’s vehicle near the intersection of NW 2nd Street and N Pine Avenue.
On Thursday, March 17, Dedaj was located, arrested, and transported to Marion County Jail. He was later released on $2,000 bond, and he is facing a felony charge for fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.