LEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Lee County Sheriff’s Office released body camera video showing the moment a fleeing driver requested a cigarette from deputies after his vehicle crashed.
The Oct. 18 incident began when a driver ran a red light. Deputies attempted a traffic stop, but the suspect fled.
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A brief pursuit ended with a PIT maneuver after the suspect drove over a median and into oncoming traffic. The maneuver caused the suspect vehicle to flip onto its side.
Body camera video shows deputies approaching the suspect with guns drawn. The suspect complied with instructions to raise his hands and climb out of the vehicle.
“Can I get a cigarette?” the suspect can be heard asking deputies. “I think I’m going to jail,” he said moments later.
Deputies found “trafficking amounts” of cocaine in the suspect’s vehicle, along with other drugs, the sheriff’s office stated.
The suspect was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, trafficking in cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, fleeing and eluding and reckless driving.
The suspect’s “extensive criminal history” includes drug charges, resisting an officer, grand theft and battery.
