Florida man arrested after posting YouTube video of himself allegedly fleeing police
Photo: Pinellas County Sheriffs Office
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man is accused of spending a Tuesday afternoon in January riding his electric bike around St. Petersburg in a reckless manner. He allegedly popped wheelies, ran red lights and drove into oncoming traffic – and when police tried to pull him over multiple times, he would flee the scene. Javan Gomes allegedly did all of this with a camera mounted onto his helmet and posted the video on YouTube. About two weeks later, that video got him arrested.
The 24-year-old was charged with fleeing or eluding police, racing on a highway, failure to have motorcycle endorsement on driver's license and threatening a law enforcement officer after the incident that unfolded on Jan. 23, according to an arrest affidavit from the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Police in both plainclothes and in uniform observed Gomes riding recklessly on a dirt bike-style Surron Ultra Bee bike through St. Petersburg – he was allegedly driving across private property, sidewalks, passing double yellow lines and riding "dangerously close" in the direction of police officers. Police tried to pull him over, but he fled every time, according to the affidavit.
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In a couple of instances, Gomes would allegedly stop in front of a police car, forcing the officer to stop in the roadway. He would then ride circles around police officers, yelling profanities and refusing to stop, according to the arrest affidavit.
"The defendant did not leave the area until there were upwards of 5-6 unmarked/marked police vehicles in the area," the affidavit said.
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Gomes recorded the entire incident on a camera mounted onto his helmet and uploaded the video to YouTube, police said. The video, titled "Cops Tried To Take Down Surron," is what ultimately allowed police to identify Gomes and take him into custody last week. The video has since been deleted.
Gomes was arrested last Thursday and booked into the Pinellas County Jail. He has since been released after posting bond.
FOX 35 requested the bodycam video from this incident, but a spokesperson for the St. Petersburg Police Department said it's still an active investigation.