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Police Tactics In Car Chase Leave Dad Puzzled

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By JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 14, 2007

TAMPA - A 4-year-old girl narrowly escaped injury when chunks of metal landed next to her safety seat during a two-car collision.

Her father, who was driving, has questions for those whose actions sent the speeding car right at him: the Tampa Police Department.

On Wednesday night, on Himes Avenue near Spruce Street, police put down "stop sticks" in front of a stolen 2007 Ford Taurus they were chasing. The car went out of control and crashed into a 1997 Toyota driven by Greg Guagliardo of Tampa.

"I know the police need to do what they need to do," said Guagliardo, 42, who was in the car with his wife, Michelle, and daughter, Lauren. "But I'm totally at a loss. I feel somebody needs to be responsible for this. ... It's not right."

Officers can use stop sticks to end a pursuit as long as there are no innocent people nearby who might step on them or drive over them, Cpl. Jared Douds said. Officers or their supervisors decide when to use them.

There was nothing about Wednesday's events, Douds said, that would lead officers to implement immediate policy changes. But police always review policies, he said.

Police had nothing but praise for Guagliardo; he crawled from his damaged car after checking on his family and helped keep tabs on the fleeing suspect.

"We definitely have to give this individual so much credit for helping us take this person down," Douds said. "For him to be in a situation like this, many people might freeze up. ... We just can't thank him enough."

Police say the driver of the stolen car was Armando Suarez, 27, of Tampa. He was arrested after leading them on a chase, ramming patrol cars, running red lights and striking Guagliardo, police said.

Suarez was taken to Tampa General Hospital and booked later into Orient Road Jail, with bail set at $50,250.

The chase began after officers saw the Ford had a paper license tag and checked the number. It came back stolen. They tried to stop the car on Deleuil Avenue and 30th Street by activating their emergency lights and boxing in the driver.

Suarez rammed two patrol cars, police said. The pursuit continued for several minutes, and Suarez ran several red lights, according to a criminal arrest affidavit.

The chase ended at 9 p.m. after an officer put down the sticks and Suarez crashed into the Toyota. Suarez's vehicle was disabled, so he ran.

"I saw he got out and tried to run through the parking lot," said Guagliardo, 42, of Tampa. "My door wouldn't open. I crawled out my window and ran over to him, and I got there when the cops did."
Himes was closed for several hours.

Suarez, of 9029 Tree Valley Circle, was charged with auto theft, two counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and aggravated fleeing to elude, police said.

He faces an additional felony count of leaving the scene of a crash with injury and misdemeanor counts of obstructing or opposing an officer without violence, reckless driving, petty theft and driving with a suspended license, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Web site.

Guagliardo and one officer had minor injuries. The officer's name wasn't immediately available, Douds said.

"I tell ya, it's just unbelievable," said Greg Guagliardo's father, Dick Guagliardo, who arrived at the scene after the crash. "Thank Jesus, my family's OK."

News Channel 8 reporter Krista Klaus and Tribune researcher Stephanie Pincus contributed to this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilove@ tampatrib.com.

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