HOLLY HILL – 44-year-old Michael Pettit was arrested on Saturday in Holly Hill after a low-speed chase that started in Bunnell. The chase involved several vehicle apprehension tactics by multiple law enforcement agencies.
The incident is said to have begun when a Bunnell police officer attempted to pull Pettit over for a routine traffic stop at around 8:15 pm. After Pettit allegedly refused to pull over and fled the BPD officer at low-speed, he was located again on US-1 by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
VSO deputies also attempted to pull Pettit over according to their office’s report, but were once again eluded. Their pursuit was soon joined by officers with the Ormond Beach Police Department and Holly Hill Police Department, with the former of the two deploying stop sticks in Pettit’s path. Shortly thereafter, Pettit is said to have driven into the parking lot of the 7-Eleven store at 1601 N. Ridgewood Ave in Holly Hill.
Even after Pettit came to a stop, deputies were reportedly unable to get him to exit his vehicle at first. He’s said to have refused commands to exit, and reached for something in his vehicle next to him. VSO deputies broke Pettit’s back windshield and Ormond Beach police officers threw in pepperballs. This caused Pettit to exit immediately, where he was promptly placed under arrest at 9:20 pm.
He’s now in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail on two charges each of resisting an officer without violence and fleeing and eluding. Police say he has a history of similar incidents leading up to this, though no such bookings are documented in Volusia or Flagler counties. Records show he resides in Indian River County.
Not sure why the cops didn’t use the stop sticks earlier in the chase? The other thing is if he has similar incidents, then why not say where these incidents are from, and what those similar incidents are?