Police Beat
Article published on Thursday, April 24, 2008 |
Police nab speeders
PINELLAS PARK – The special operations police unit or “Wolf Packs” took to the streets again and issued 224 traffic citations and made five arrests.
Sgt. Tracey Schofield, special operations commander, said the April 8 effort was concentrated on Bryan Dairy Road east and west of 66th Street between 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The event was an effort to curb speeders, red light runners and other violators whose safety infractions are the leading cause of accidents.
Schofield said of the 224 total incidents, 148 citations were issued for speeding and another 14 for running red lights. Other summonses included six seatbelt violations, nine moving violations, 11 for not moving over and 10 for running stop signs.
Additionally, there were 17 non-moving violations issued, eight criminal investigations that resulted in five arrests and one pedestrian incident.
Chase ends in crash
PINELLAS PARK – A Georgia man was arrested April 19 after he tried to outrun police and crashed into a fire hydrant. Kuron L. Scott, 29, of Jonesboro, Ga., is charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing and eluding police, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana and reckless driving. He was released from the Pinellas County Jail on $22,300 bail.
Police said officers attempted to stop Scott on U.S. 19 near Gateway Center Drive. Police said the suspect fled, running stop signs and red lights before turning northbound on U.S. 19. At 49th Street, police alleged, Scott tried to ram officers and eventually struck a fire hydrant and escaped on foot. He was captured shortly after.
Police said a concealed weapon and marijuana was discovered in Scott’s rented car.
Armed robbers take cash, drugs
PINELLAS PARK – Three white males dressed in heavy black clothes, including masks and gloves, entered a CVS Pharmacy at about 4:38 a.m. April 15 and demanded cash and medications from three employees. The robbers, who were carrying handguns, fled from the pharmacy, located at 7101 Park Blvd., in an unknnown direction. There were no injuries reported.
Man arrested on bad check count
PINELLAS PARK – Police arrested a 47-year-old St. Petersburg man on charges of possession of a controlled substance and fraudulent use of personal information on April 12.
According to police reports, the suspect, Michael G. Price, was trying to cash a bad check that afternoon at the Storm Gas Station, 4890 Park Blvd.
Officer E. Schroeder was sent to the store and obtained the check from the employee and noticed it was written in the amount of $656 to a Marcus Wright. The employee said he had researched the company on the check and discovered it doesn’t exist. He also said the suspect told him the check was for his payroll because he was a cleaner.
After further investigation, police asked Price how come the check was written to a Marcus F. Wright when his name was Michael Price, reports said.
Price said if he had the checks written to his real name then he would not get Social Security insurance benefits and by using a fictitious name he soon would be eligible to receive the benefits. Upon further questioning, Price said that this was his third paycheck he’s received.
Police were advised that Price had an active warrant on him from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office for failure to appear on a charge of driving while license is suspended.
Price was taken into custody, and police discovered he had three rocks of crack cocaine in a plastic glue tub that was in his pocket, reports said.
During questioning, Price allegedly told police he was a “crack junkie.” He was released from county jail April 14.
Seminole man nabbed on drug charge
PINELLAS PARK – A 20-year-old Seminole man was arrested April 12 on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to sell. At about 9:15 that evening, Officer D. Buttworth made a traffic stop involving a black Acura on 49th Street.
The officer approached the vehicle and noticed a faint odor of what he believed was marijuana. As the suspect, identified as Kim F. Kroger, was looking through his paperwork, the officer noticed he had slow and unsure movements. His speech was slow and mumbled, reports said.
After the suspect stepped out of his vehicle, the officer smelled an alcoholic beverage on his breath. Upon further investigation police found a bag of marijuana weighing 368 grams, a digital scale, two boxes of sandwich bags, a safe, and other possible evidence, including $325 in cash.
When asked why he had so much marijuana, the suspect said, “I buy it all at once ’cause its cheaper that way in the long run,” reports said. The suspect insisted that the marijuana was for his personal use.
|
Article published on Thursday, April 24, 2008
Copyright © Tampa Bay Newspapers: All rights reserved. |
