By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
OXFORD – A Florida man, 33, led Oxford police officers on a chase through downtown Oxford late on Feb. 22, trying several times to flee from authorities before eventually being caught at a dead end on a service road.
Two Oxford police officers were in the driveway of the Oxford Police Department and heard a revving engine at 9:03 p.m. The officers then witnessed a dirt bike traveling at a high rate of speed in a 25 miles per hour zone on eastbound W. Burdick Street, an Oxford Police Department incident report stated.
The dirt bike did not have lights or a registration plate, according to the report.
One of the police officers began a pursuit, activating his emergency lights and sirens. “The dirt bike increased its speed and continued eastbound over Washington Street onto E. Burdick Street,” the report stated.
The suspect then turned south onto Mill and continued into the parking lots on E. Burdick where it turned westbound onto E. Burdick Street, in violation of a sign posted prohibiting left turns. The dirt bike continued westbound on E. Burdick Street and went through a red light at Burdick and N. Washington Streets and turned northbound onto Pleasant Street and westbound on First Street, the report stated.
As the dirt bike turned southbound on Willow Street, the officer informed dispatch that he would be terminating the pursuit and followed without lights and sirens activated to observe the suspect.
The officer watched as the suspect sped on northbound N. Washington Street, weaving in and out of traffic. The police officer believed the rider “posed a danger to himself or others if he was allowed to continue without attempting to apprehend him.”
The officer began pursuit again and followed the vehicle westbound on Market Street and onto a service road near Champion Drive where the service road ended at a gate.
“As the driver approached the gate, he appeared to hit his brakes hard, causing his dirt bike to slide onto its side,” the report stated. “The driver then got up and appeared to be attempting to run. Once the driver realized he was blocked in, he got onto the ground and surrendered.”
The suspect was taken into custody. Police could detect the odor of intoxicants coming from the suspect, who also had bloodshot, watery eyes, the report stated.
The suspect admitted to having “like two shots and a twisted tea,” the report stated. The man was given a preliminary breath test with the results being .109% Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). A BAC of .08% is considered legally intoxicated in Michigan.
The suspect refused a blood test when requested, so police got a search warrant from a magistrate for a blood draw. He was taken to McLaren-Clarkston for a blood draw, where he was medically cleared after tipping the dirt bike.
The suspect was then booked and fingerprinted at the Oxford PD and transferred to the Oakland County Jail. Charges for Fleeing and Eluding Police and Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol are pending lab results.
The dirt bike, a blue 1999 Honda CR250r, is believed to belong to the suspect’s best friend’s girlfriend’s brother. The bike was impounded.