VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A fleeing driver in a stolen vehicle ended up cutting into a radio interview of Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood on Tuesday afternoon, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office posted video from the interview, which was hosted on the Drew Garabo Live radio show.
While the interview was initially focused on Chitwood’s recent pushback against antisemitic groups in Florida, it quickly turned into an on-air pursuit as the sheriff was revealed to be chasing a stolen vehicle along Interstate 95.
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The video cuts to the chase along the highway, showing Chitwood and other law enforcement agents driving after the stolen vehicle and ultimately nabbing the driver.
“I’m not even thinking twice that I’m live for the air and they’re listening to me calling out the pursuit,” Chitwood said.
Back on the radio show, the host asks whether Chitwood is alright, to which the sheriff responds that he is.
“We’re good. We’re good. It was one of those things that FHP was chasing a car, and I just happened to be at the next exit where this son-of-a-(expletive) was coming,” Chitwood said.
He added his public information officer also gave him a ring after the pursuit.
“He said, ‘No. 1, are you ok? And No. 2, that entire time you were on there, you just broadcasted live in Tampa,’” Chitwood said. “It didn’t even dawn on me that I was broadcasting live. He was like, ‘Yeah, it was like an open mic,’” Chitwood said.
The suspect — identified Wednesday as 22-year-old Seth Potter — faces a laundry list of traffic- and theft-related charges, according to his arrest report and booking information.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers Tuesday afternoon were told to be on the lookout for a white pickup truck without a license plate fleeing southbound from an FHP captain on I-95. The truck was seen weaving in and out of traffic in wanton disregard for others’ safety as troopers tried to conduct a traffic stop, to which the truck instead picked up more speed, the report states.
“The speeds were over 100 and he did go over 100 miles,” Chitwood said.
Approaching speeds of 117 mph, Potter swerved the truck across all southbound lanes and, in an attempt to avoid stop sticks, drove toward an Edgewater police officer who had to dive out of the way, according to the report.
Stop sticks deployed at mile marker 245 made a positive hit, causing the pickup to slow and veer onto the right shoulder.
Potter was arrested at 5:38 p.m., the report states. Shortly after, troopers received a delayed hit confirmation that the pickup had been reported by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office as stolen. A firearm that had been reported stolen was recovered from the vehicle as well, troopers said.
Potter was booked into the Volusia County jail — where he is being held on no bond — and faces charges of reckless driving, failure to obey lawful orders, grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft of a firearm, resisting an officer without violence, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and fleeing/eluding law enforcement with sirens active, at high speeds, with disregard to the safety of other persons or property.
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