Another man arrested in car chase

Authorities say he drove a second car and tried to elude police during a car chase Sunday.

By JAMIE MALERNEE

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 4, 2000

A second man has been arrested after a car chase that began Sunday when a man stole a Cadillac and nearly ran over a deputy.

Christopher Jones, 19, of 200 Dryden Place No. 36, Brooksville faces one count of principal to grand theft auto.

Authorities say Jones and Jason Scott Gray, 19, of 9420 Wildwood Drive, Brooksville, drove up to the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in Ridge Manor West on Sunday in a gray Mercury Grand Marquis. Gray got out of the car and then stole a Cadillac that had been left open in the parking lot with the keys in the ignition, authorities say.

Gray and Jones drove off in their separate cars.

Jones was spotted by law enforcement officials, who chased the Mercury to the end of Lawson Drive. Jones then drove the car -- which was stolen -- into a tree and ran into the woods, a Hernando County sheriff's report said. Authorities lost track of him in the woods, but Brooksville police arrested Jones at his girlfriend's house Monday. Brooksville police have charged him in connection with the Mercury's theft, but Hernando County sheriff's officials decided not to charge him in connection to the theft of the Cadillac.

Meanwhile, after driving away from the Cracker Barrel in the Cadillac, Gray led deputies on a long chase into northwest Brooksville.

At one point, Gray drove toward Deputy Gloria Fribley-Lykes, who had gotten out of her patrol car and was motioning for Gray to stop near Broad Street and Lake Lindsey Road, a Hernando County sheriff's report said. Instead, Gray kept going, even when the deputy jumped out of the way onto the side of the road.

According to the report, Fribley-Lykes feared for her life as the Cadillac followed her onto the shoulder of the road, so she drew her gun and fired twice at the car, which then swerved and sped off. Neither the deputy nor the driver of the stolen car was hurt in the shooting.

The Cadillac continued on, turning left onto Broad Street, where the driver crashed into a telephone pole. Gray got out of the car and ran into some woods, where he was caught, officials said.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Deanna Dammer said a "routine" internal investigation is being done on the shooting. She said an investigation always is done when a deputy's gun is fired. Fribley-Lykes remains on active duty.

Policy dictates that a deputy may use deadly force against a suspect if a deputy thinks he or she is preventing "imminent death or great bodily harm," according to the Sheriff's Office's written directives. Policy also dictates that "unless otherwise justified by unusual or exigent circumstances, shooting at or from a moving vehicle will be avoided."

Gray faces charges of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle on a law enforcement officer, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, willful and wanton reckless driving, fleeing and eluding police, and four counts of grand theft auto. Three of those counts stem from car thefts Brooksville police say Gray committed in the city Thursday night or Friday morning before trying to steal the Cadillac. All four vehicles have been recovered.

Jones was being held in the Hernando County Jail on $1,000 bail, while Gray is being held on $20,513 bail.

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