A Leesburg man was arrested for resisting an officer after repeatedly questioning the validity of radar that caught him speeding at 70 miles per hour.
A deputy pulled over 38-year-old Jephthe Jean Louis in an orange 2016 Dodge Challenger in Leesburg at 2:05 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. He had been speeding at 70mph in a 55-mph zone, leading to a traffic stop at U.S. Hwy 27 and Bridges Road.
Jean Louis denied reaching that speed and questioned the accuracy of the deputy’s radar. The deputy explained it was moving radar that detects speeds of vehicles going in both directions, but he continued to dispute the reading. He also asked for proof of the radar reading and was told such evidence would be presented in court if needed, the report said.
The report noted the deputy saw an obstructing plate cover attached to the vehicle’s tag. He subsequently asked Jean Louis for his license, registration and insurance five times. Instead of handing them over, he continued to question the validity of the stop and radar reading.
He stated the deputy came from the opposite direction and could not have accurately measured his speed. The deputy reiterated his explanation, once again asking for ID and vehicle documents. Jean Louis eventually stated he would take the matter to court and get a lawyer, the report said.
After several more requests, Jean Louis refused to give the deputy anything. The deputy advised that this was an arrestable offense, to which he continued to argue and said he could get the information by running the license plate. The deputy stated this was not the proper procedure and again asked for ID, which he refused to provide, the report said.
As such, the deputy requested another unit and a supervisor to come to the scene. Jean Louis recorded the interaction on his phone, saying he was a professional truck driver who would not have been speeding. He initially did not comply when told to step out of the vehicle but eventually did so after repeated commands, the report said.
Jean Louis proceeded to say he had not resisted and continued to question the probable cause for the entire incident. He expressed his disagreement with the stop and arrest all the way to Lake County Jail, where he was charged with resisting without violence and alter/obscure vehicle registration/license plate. The native of Haiti was released after posting $1,500 bond.