A 24-year-old Ocala man was arrested last week after he led law enforcement officers on a two-county chase that came to an end on Interstate 75.
On Tuesday, January 9, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper was on I-75, near mile marker 335, when two Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies were observed pursuing a gray Kia SUV southbound from Marion County into Sumter County, according to the FHP arrest report.
The trooper noted in the report that the deputies requested assistance from FHP, and the trooper quickly took over the pursuit of the SUV. When the SUV was in the area of mile marker 329, the driver – later identified as Reginald Jerome Parker II – slowed the vehicle, which allowed the trooper to perform a P.I.T. (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver.
Moments after the right front bumper of the trooper’s patrol vehicle struck the left rear bumper of the SUV, Parker abruptly braked. The report stated that the trooper was then able to block the SUV with the patrol vehicle, ending the pursuit.
Once the SUV came to a stop, Parker climbed into the back seat, and he was promptly removed from the vehicle and escorted to the ground by the trooper. He was then placed under arrest without further incident, according to the report.
A computer search of Parker revealed that shortly before his arrest, he had fled from Ocala Police Department officers and MCSO deputies. The trooper further noted that Parker’s driver’s license had been suspended in December due to a failure to pay a traffic fine, and he was also on probation.
The report stated that a female adult passenger was observed in the front seat of the SUV. She told law enforcement that she had asked Parker numerous times to stop the vehicle and let her out, though he continued to hold her in the vehicle against her will during the chase.
The passenger further stated that Parker was “violent towards her,” and she was “in fear for her life,” according to the report.
After being medically cleared on scene, Parker was transported to Sumter County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond. He is facing the following charges: fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer, kidnapping an adult, driving with a suspended or revoked license, and violating probation.
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Monday, February 26, according to Sumter County court records.