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Chase Suspect Charges Include Attempted Murder

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 15, 2008

LARGO - The charges against Samuel George, the Largo man who led Pinellas deputies on a chase with his roommate's car Monday night, include one count of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, Pinellas sheriff's authorities said today.

The other charges are three counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, and one count each of resisting a law enforcement officer with violence, aggravated fleeing and eluding, possession of marijuana, drunken driving and auto theft, Pinellas sheriff's Sgt. Jim Bordner said.

George, 36, of 907 Leona Drive, twice fled from deputies, and he rammed several patrol cars during the second pursuit, Bordner said. The Mitsubishi he was driving belonged to his roommate, Jonathan Wayne Miller, 47, and George had taken it without asking, Bordner said.

Initially, George fled from a deputy who stopped him after seeing the Mitsubishi run a red light and speed near Main Street and McMullen-Booth Road in Safety Harbor, Bordner said. The Mitsubishi was traveling 49 mph in a 25-mph zone.

After first pulling over in the 7:30 p.m. traffic stop, George sped away in the white 2001 Mitsubishi Gallant as the deputy approached the vehicle on foot. The deputy returned to his patrol car and began to pursue the suspect, who then reached speeds of 81 mph in a 45-mph zone and 80 mph in a 45-mph zone, Bordner said. The deputy chose to stop the chase and last saw the vehicle near McMullen-Booth Road and State Road 590.

The deputy, however, had jotted down the tag number and tracked down the registered owner's address, Bordner said. Less than an hour later, after other deputies went to the Leona Drive residence and began talking with Miller, they saw the Mitsubishi approach, Bordner said.

The car had sustained heavy front-end damage since the deputy had called off the pursuit, and the car nearly hit a marked patrol car as it went past the Leona Drive home, Bordner said. The Mitsubishi sped off again, and a chase was on again.

When George stopped at a four-way stop at Trotter Road and Dryer Avenue, a deputy pulled along the left side of the Mitsubishi, and George rammed the patrol car before speeding away again, Bordner said.

As the suspect approached the intersection of Indian Rocks Road and Bluff's Drive, a deputy nudged the Mitsubishi with his squad car in a standard maneuver, and the Mitsubishi spun to a stop, Bordner said.

As a deputy approached the Mitsubishi on foot, George drove toward the deputy, who suffered minor injuries as he dove onto the hood of his squad car to avoid being struck, Bordner said.

The Mitsubishi struck the front end of the patrol car before hitting a second patrol car nearby. The second impact injured a deputy getting out of that cruiser as it was hit. The suspect then backed into the driver side of a third cruiser that had been stopped behind him. Deputies were then able to open the driver's side door of the Mitsubishi and pull George out.

George appeared to be impaired, Bordner said.

One of the three injured deputies was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for a back injury and later released. The other two deputies didn't require treatment at a hospital, Bordner said.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

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