August 2024. Blues Vol 40 No.8

across the state, which

across the state, which she says are making it easier for police officers to engage in high-speed chases. “I think (Gualtieri) is indicating that they’re going to be a lot more aggressive in fighting these cases,” Sammis said. “They’re probably going to be a lot less willing to return vehicles under this policy.” This more aggressive stance will hopefully decrease the number of people trying to flee from police, Sammis said. Bryant Scriven, a Tampa defense attorney, says in his experience handling seizure cases, not everyone is trying to outrun police. Some people may be driving down the street to stop, or they might think police are asking someone else to pull over, he said. “A lot of these cases get reduced or even dismissed,” Scriven said. “If they’re going to be seizing all these cars, that’s going to be overwhelming for the court,” he said. “A lot of people are not going to be found guilty, yet they still have to go through the process of getting their car back, which is ridiculous.” Osmany Gonzalez Rojas had his motorcycle seized under the policy. According to court records, a deputy tried to pull him over for speeding. He says he didn’t know there was a deputy behind him. It was just before 8:30 a.m. June 11, the day Gualtieri said deputies began enforcing the seizure policy. Gonzalez Rojas, 20, was starting a job at a Verizon store on Walsingham Road. He said he had his AirPods on and didn’t hear sirens or see police lights. “I went from a clean record to having a felony charge,” Gonzalez Rojas said. “The deputy didn’t want to hear s—t, either. He made it clear it was just a paycheck to him. He told me, ‘You did this at the worst time of the month.’ It didn’t matter what I said to him.” According to an arrest report, the deputy caught up with Rojas at a red light after seeing him speeding. When the light turned green, the deputy activated his emergency lights and siren and directed Gonzalez Rojas to stop. The deputy wrote that Gonzalez Rojas looked back at him and accelerated. Largest Police Magazine on the Planet. click here for your FREE Subscription. 48 The Blues - August ‘24

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