A robbery occurred at about 10:20 a.m. on Monday August 28, 2006 at the Cash Register Auto Insurance of Pinellas Park, which is located at 4702 Park Boulevard. The man produced a handgun in front of the clerk and demanded money. A description of the suspect and his getaway vehicle was broadcast to area law enforcement agencies by the Pinellas Park Police Department along with information that the suspect was armed with a handgun. Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputies located the suspect shortly after receiving the alert.

According to deputies, at around 10:30 a.m. the suspect was observed driving a tan Ford Ranger pick-up truck eastbound on Gandy Boulevard. The truck matched the description given for the one used in the Pinellas Park armed robbery. The patrol deputy who first observed the suspect began following the truck and notified a patrol sergeant who was ahead of him in traffic near the west end of the Gandy Bridge. As the suspect approached the bridge, the deputy and sergeant unsuccessfully attempted to stop the suspect by using a "box-in" technique. The suspect then fled onto the eastbound span of the Gandy Bridge towards Tampa reaching speeds of 85-90 mph.

Deputies say that after exiting the bridge the suspect continued east on Gandy Boulevard, where he encountered heavy civilian traffic and slowed to about 20 mph. The suspect turned south onto West Shore Boulevard and continued fleeing from deputies at a slow speed. Near the intersection of West Shore Boulevard and West Paul Avenue the patrol sergeant attempted to utilize the Precision Immobilization Technique (P.I.T.) to end the pursuit. The suspect lost control of his vehicle and crossed into the oncoming lanes where he struck a silver 2000 Chevrolet Impala driven by a 24-year-old of Tampa.

According to deputies, both vehicles involved in the collision were damaged, but no injuries were reported. Deputies say they have arrested the suspect for one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding, and they have recovered a handgun from inside his vehicle.

Pinellas Park Police detectives were called to the scene and continue to investigate the armed robbery.

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