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Fleeing Suspect Takes Refuge With Dead

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By JOSH POLTILOVE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 28, 2007

TAMPA - A man fleeing from Tampa police in a Honda Accord early Tuesday crashed into a light pole and tried to hide out in a mausoleum, police said.

Demetrius E. Johnson, 38, of Tampa, was arrested at 3:45 a.m. in the 4200 block of East Lake Avenue at Garden of Memories Cemetery.

Police pulled Johnson over because he was driving erratically and they thought the car might have been stolen, said Cpl. Jared Douds, a police spokesman.

It was the second time in less than a month that Johnson tried to flee Tampa police before being arrested, Douds said.

On Nov. 5, Johnson struggled with officers and broke loose from them, ignoring commands to stop, a criminal arrest report states. Police chased him "through multiple yards and over multiple fences," finally catching him. Fearing Johnson was reaching for a weapon or trying to fight back, an officer hit Johnson several times on his right shoulder, the report says.

Johnson was arrested that time on a count of felony armed carjacking. That was dropped because there were no credible witnesses, the state attorney's office said.

Tuesday's chase began when police saw a gold-colored Accord they suspected was stolen and stopped it at 50th Street and 26th Avenue, a criminal arrest affidavit states.

Johnson got out of the Honda, but when officers identified themselves and told him to stay put, he jumped back in the car, turned off its headlights and fled at high speed, authorities said.

Soon after that, an officer in a marked police cruiser got behind the Honda and turned on the cruiser's lights and siren.

The Honda sped up and later crashed into a light pole, the affidavit states. The Honda was destroyed.

Johnson fled on foot, according to the affidavit.

With the help of a police dog, Johnson was found in a mausoleum.

In the center console of the Accord, officers found a crack pipe with cocaine residue, the affidavit states.

Johnson, of 2907 N. Cord St., was charged with aggravated fleeing to elude, cocaine possession, leaving the scene of a crash, reckless driving, obstructing or opposing an officer without violence, possession of drug paraphernalia and not having a valid driver's license.

An investigation is ongoing into whether to charge Johnson with auto theft, Douds said.

Johnson was being held in Orient Road Jail on Tuesday night with bail set at $11,250.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilove@tampatrib.com.

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