A Leesburg man was arrested twice last week for attempting to outrun officers, the first on an ATV and the second in a car.
On the evening of Thursday, July 4, officers patrolled near Center and Oakland Street, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. Throughout the afternoon, there was a large group of subjects riding ATVs and dirt bikes in that area that continuously drove recklessly and would flee from law enforcement when they tried to intervene. One of these subjects was later identified as 20-year-old Zamarion Zytavian Johnson.
While driving eastbound on Center Street, an officer could hear several ATVs revving their engines and driving up and down Moss Street. As he approached, one came north to Center Street but quickly initiated a U-turn and went south after seeing the patrol vehicle. A second ATV then approached the patrol vehicle before driving around it to go west on Center Street, the report said.
The officer was able to identify the male driver from previous contacts as he passed. A female passenger was sitting on the back, but the officer was unable to identify her. He activated emergency lights and sirens as the subjects passed by, the report said.
The male driver failed to stop and rapidly accelerated instead. The officer stopped his pursuit due to the male driver’s reckless demeanor while operating the ATV, the report said.
Suspecting the male driver was going to a family member’s residence in the 1000 block of Beecher Street, the officer responded to that area to attempt to make contact with him. He arrived to see two subjects on separate ATVs in the roadway on Beecher Street. The officer again activated his emergency lights and sirens, the report said.
One of the subjects began fleeing west through the parking lot of Sunshine Apartments toward Tuskegee Street. This was identified as Johnson from numerous previous contacts. Due to his reckless driving and numerous bystanders in the area, the pursuit was terminated immediately, the report said.
The report noted that Johnson was on the first ATV that the officer observed on Moss Street which initiated the U-turn away from him. The second ATV was suspected to be the male driver, however he did not see his face as he began to immediately flee northbound away from the officer, the report said.
Johnson was ultimately arrested the following morning at his home, located at 1711 Center Street. He was charged with flee/elude (marked patrol vehicle) but released from Lake County Jail after posting $5,000 bond.
An officer spotted Johnson again at about 1:43 p.m. Sunday as he was driving a silver Chevrolet Malibu on Center Street. Based on multiple encounters and his arrest just days prior, the officer was aware Johnson did not have a driver’s license and should not be driving a motor vehicle. Moreover, the officer confirmed Johnson’s driving privileges were cancelled indefinitely on Aug. 8, 2022, as well as revoked for six months on Oct. 21, 2021, another report said.
After witnessing this violation, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle near Center and 15th Street. They were directly behind Johnson’s vehicle as they initiated their red and blue lights and sirens. However, Johnson accelerated his vehicle and turned into the Bank of America parking lot on the northwest corner of Center and North 14th Street, the report said.
Johnson, with a marked patrol vehicle behind him, U-turned out of the parking lot and continued westbound on Center Street back toward North 15th Street. Pursuant to agency pursuit police and to not risk public safety, all officers turned their lights and sirens off to disengage the attempted traffic stop, the report said.
The vehicle continued to accelerate at a visual estimated speed of about 75 to 90mph westbound on Center Street, where the posted speed limit is 35mph. Johnson’s actions and driving pattern at the time of the incident were consistent with him fleeing and eluding officers at a high rate of speed without any care or regard for public safety, the report said.
Johnson was seen about an hour later in the front passenger seat of another vehicle near Thomas Avenue and Tally Road pursuant to a traffic stop. He was subsequently placed into custody and taken to the LPD for booking paperwork, the report said.
The report noted that Johnson was out on bond for the first incident when, in less than 72 hours, he fled from officers again. The arresting officer requested and strongly recommended that he be held without bond for the second incident and that his bond for the first incident be revoked.
Johnson was charged with flee/elude (high speed – disregard public safety) and operate motor vehicle without driver’s license. He was transported to Lake County Jail to be held without bond.