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Lakes Wales police to probe weekend melee

Photo from Willie Hester

Photo by Willie Hester Police canine units were also called to help contain the scene during a traffic stop in Lake Wales Saturday afternoon.

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 9, 2009

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• Traffic stop erupts into confrontation in Lake Wales

Clifford Lorenzo Hart

Charles Lewis Hart

Donovan Lamar Gray

Ernest Hampton

TAMPA - The Lake Wales Police Department has opened an administrative investigation into a melee that followed a weekend traffic stop.

About 75 to 100 people gathered and grew combative with officers trying to take three suspects into custody, officials said. Some interfered with attempts to arrest the suspects, two of whom escaped because of the crowd's intervention.

A number of citizen complaints were filed with the department after the incident, Assistant Chief Chris Velasquez said today. Coupled with a use of force by officers, that automatically starts an administrative review.

"The biggest goal right now is to get any and all evidence that is out there," Velasquez said. "That means any and all video or photographs circulating around.

"There were a lot of emotions out there," he said, "and it led to a very dangerous situation for the public and for the police officers."

The incident began about 3 p.m. Saturday when an officer stopped a car at C Street and Dr. J.A. Wiltshire Avenue because the window tint was too dark, police said. Officers said the driver, Vincent Lamar Thomas, 24, of Lake Wales, tried to eat some marijuana.

Thomas struggled with the officers, police said, and the scuffle drew onlookers who grew hostile.

Velasquez said rumors circulated through the community that police had shot someone and that drew a larger, more belligerent crowd.

A police cadet was punched in the chest by one onlooker, identified as Donovan Gray, 21, of Lake Wales, and two passengers in the car, Charles Hart, 24, and his twin brother, Clifford, grabbed the remaining pot and bolted into the crowd, police said.

More police arrived and Thomas was arrested.

When police tried to arrest Gray, he struggled and one officer shot him with a Taser. An onlooker, identified as Ernest Hampton, 19, of Lake Wales, pulled the electrical prongs out of Gray, allowing him to continue fighting, police said.

Gray was arrested. Hampton escaped but turned himself at the county jail this morning, Velasquez said.

Warrants have been issued for the Hart brothers.

Some residents criticized the department.

Jerry Smith, who was not involved in the incident, said his children are afraid of Lake Wales police and that his 11-year-old daughter won't go to high school football games because of the police presence.

Smith said he's afraid to leave his house at times.

"I could go down the road and who knows what they'd charge me with," he said.

Velasquez said the department wants the public's backing: "We're trying to do what they are asking us to do, to clean some of these areas up."

"If we find out an officer did something wrong, we will stand with the community and deal with that officer," he said.

Velasquez said two officers suffered minor injuries in the scuffle and have been placed on light duty.

Officer Sean Ouellette, who made the traffic stop, has been the subject of citizen complaints in the past. But all the cases were ruled unfounded, Velasquez said.

Thomas faces charges of tampering with evidence and resisting arrest. He was released Sunday on $2,000 bail, records show.

Gray faces four counts each of battery on a police officer and resisting arrest with violence. He was released Sunday on $8,000.

Hampton remained in jail today on charges of aiding a prisoner in an escape and battery on a law enforcement officer.

Clifford Hart has a string off arrests dating back five years. On Oct. 11, he was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession and released on $1,000 bail, records show. In November 2008, he was charged with selling marijuana and resisting arrest without violence; he was sentenced to time served and currently is on felony probation.

Charles Hart's most recent felony arrest was in August, when he was accused of violating his probation on charges of grand theft and check forgery. He was ordered to serve community control in that case until March 2011, records show.

Reporter Neil Johnson contributed to this report. Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760.

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