22-04-2025
ATV driver leads police on 30-mile chase while drunk, then crashes, FL cops say
A shirtless man accused of drinking and threatening people with a knife got on his ATV and led police on a high-speed chase for 30 miles, Florida authorities said.
Damion Stafford, 44, eventually crashed the ATV, and a K-9 bit him on the leg to subdue him, the Cape Coral Police Department said April 21.
Stafford received medical attention following the crash and bite until he was cleared and taken to jail, police said.
The evening of April 20, officers reported receiving a domestic violence call about a man under the influence of alcohol making threats with a knife.
He fled the home on a red Yamaha all-terrain vehicle, and officers set up a perimeter in the area until they spotted a man on an ATV matching his description, according to police.
The officer started chasing the ATV with the emergency lights, but Stafford is accused of refusing to pull over.
Police released footage of the chase, which they said lasted 25 minutes and reached speeds of 80 mph. The ATV rider is seen driving on the grass and on the roads, looking back at the officer occasionally.
During the pursuit, Stafford ditched a 12-inch knife and made inappropriate gestures at the officers, they said.
Eventually, the road curved and Stafford couldn't make the turn, causing him to crash into an embankment and overturn, police said.
Officers reported Stafford didn't respond to commands to show his hands after the crash, so a K-9 was sent in and bit him.
He was then handcuffed and taken to a hospital, and officers learned his blood alcohol content was .200, more than twice the legal limit, according to police.
Stafford is charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill, DUI, aggravated fleeing and eluding, reckless driving and possession of a concealed weapon as a convicted felon.
Cape Coral is part of the Fort Myers metropolitan area.
