BRADENTON BEACH – Police lights and the sound of helicopter blades woke residents early last Saturday morning as a driver blew past a Holmes Beach Police Department officer in the 2800 block of Gulf Drive, beginning a high-speed chase.
HBPD Officer Frank Price was driving north when he saw Donald Smith’s vehicle speeding south, according to the police report. Price turned on his lights and siren and tried to catch up with the grey sedan, but the suspect continued to speed up. Smith appeared to attempt to stop as he neared the intersection of Gulf Drive and Cortez Road. Price saw a Bradenton Beach Police Department patrol car turn his lights on and turn into Gulf Stream Beach Resort at 1501 Gulf Drive. BBPD Officer Roy Joslin asked Price on the police radio whether HBPD was chasing the sedan and said BBPD Officer Devon Straight had followed the car to the parking lot.
According to the police report, Straight said he saw the vehicle come to a stop and saw Smith jump out of the driver’s seat and run into the woods behind the condo. Straight also identified the passenger, Koreiyale Johnson, and stayed with her and the vehicle. When Price arrived on the scene, he confirmed it was the vehicle he had been chasing. Johnson confirmed the driver of the vehicle was Smith, her boyfriend, and gave police a description of him and what he was wearing.
Officers found a white medicine bottle on the ground by Smith’s vehicle that contained a white powdery substance inside a plastic bag. They also found a large amount of marijuana inside the vehicle. Johnson denied knowing any drugs were in the car.
Police found that Smith’s vehicle had crashed into a parked car before he fled, so police upgraded charges to fleeing and eluding, as well as multiple drug charges. Smith fled into the mangroves but police could not locate him, so they requested assistance from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office’s helicopter, which was dispatched to Bradenton Beach to assist in the search. The helicopter crew alerted police that Smith was spotted on Canasta Drive where he ran onto a dock and jumped in the water, hiding under the dock.
With the help of the helicopter, officers were able to capture Smith in the water, bringing him to patrol cars waiting on Avenue B. Smith was arrested for possession with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia, leaving the scene of a crash, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, unknowingly driving with a suspended license and driving too fast for a narrow or winding road.
Smith was arrested and transported to HBPD for paperwork, then transported to the Manatee County Jail. Bond was set at $3,620.
