In a startling incident, a Florida man, formerly a member of law enforcement, found himself in a heap of trouble after reportedly leading his fellow deputies on an extraordinarily high-speed chase.
The incident occurred over the weekend and resulted in a series of charges against Jakob Kite (pictured above), as detailed by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Kite now faces a slew of allegations stemming from the September 4th event.
These charges include aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting with violence, resisting without violence, fleeing to elude, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, reckless driving, and driving under the influence.
Additionally, Kite received four separate speeding tickets, each corresponding to different speed zones, and two citations for running stop signs.
The sequence of events began when a deputy engaged in traffic enforcement observed a Subaru Impreza racing south on Highway 98 toward Bartow at a staggering speed of 105 mph in a 60 mph zone. However, this was just the beginning of Kite's alleged recklessness.
Later, another deputy recorded the same vehicle traveling at a minimum of 114 mph and a maximum of 117 mph using a laser speed enforcement device.
It was at this point that deputies initiated their initial attempts to stop the speeding car, but without success.
The pursuit led the Impreza to Bartow, where it maneuvered through several streets before heading north toward Highway 540A.
During the initial chase, one deputy tracked the car reaching a shocking 130 mph in a 45 mph zone using moving radar.
Efforts to halt the fleeing vehicle using emergency lights and sirens proved ineffective as the driver continued to evade capture.
After allegedly running a stop sign, the Impreza swerved left, striking a concrete median, which damaged its front tire. However, this still did not bring an end to the pursuit.
In a concerning turn of events, the Impreza allegedly veered aggressively toward one of the deputy's patrol vehicles, nearly colliding with it. Undeterred, the vehicle continued westbound on Hwy 540A, prompting the deputies to maintain the pursuit.
Ultimately, a sheriff's deputy executed a "PIT maneuver" (Precision Immobilization Technique) to conclude the chase. This maneuver involves forcing the pursued vehicle into a sudden sideways turn, causing the driver to lose control.
Upon finally exiting his vehicle, Kite reportedly appeared to be intoxicated or impaired. Subsequent testing at the PCSO processing center revealed breath alcohol levels of 0.035 and 0.034, according to the sheriff's office.
Sheriff Grady Judd expressed his disappointment and anger at Kite's reckless conduct, stating, "This kind of driving and reckless behavior is unacceptable for any responsible citizen, let alone a deputy sheriff." He further added that had Kite not resigned, he would have been terminated.
The sheriff emphasized the commitment to holding Kite accountable for his actions and commended the traffic deputies for their prompt response and apprehension of Kite.
Kite's journey in law enforcement began in February 2020 as a Polk County detention deputy trainee.
By April 2023, he had been promoted to deputy sheriff and assigned to the southwest district. Following his arrest, Kite resigned from his position on Sunday morning.
In another news, a drug dealer has appeared in court after he called the police to report his missing stash of drugs. See detailed story here
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