An overnight traffic stop in New Port Richey quickly turned into a dangerous scenario for two young police officer, sparking a high-speed chase through multiple counties.
Anthony Kasperitis and Edward Donohue are both new officers with the New Port Richey Police Department.
Their encounter with Timothy McCoy was an intense reminder of what they signed up for.
"It was just going back to training and that fight or flight instinct," said Officer Anthony Kasperitis.
Officer Donohue conducted a traffic stop after midnight Tuesday morning at Arthur Avenue and Madison Street.
McCoy handed over his driver's license through a partially rolled down window. At that point, officers smelled and later spotted marijuana in the passenger seat.
McCoy refused to step outside the SUV, and because he failed to cooperate, Officer Donohue attempted to gain access into the car through the rear passenger door with his gun in hand.
"For my safety, I didn't want to go inside the vehicle and then him pull a gun out or any type of weapon out," said Donohue.
That's when McCoy turned the car on and attempted to drive off.
"And that's when I took out my baton, and started to hit the window and by the third it opened and by that time we were here hitting and that's when he kind of drove out," demonstrated Kasperitis.
"Both of those officers had to take evasive movements and jump out of the way because the vehicle was either going to drag one and hit the other," said Deputy Chief Steven Kostas.
McCoy led police and Pasco County deputies on a high-speed, 30 minute chase stretching south on the Veterans Expressway and into Tampa on N. Dale Mabry.
McCoy eventually pulled over in a parking lot, located at 13178 Dale Mabry, because he ran out of gas.
McCoy exited the SUV and surrendered without incident.
"He has blatant disregard for anybody that's on the road," said Kasperitis.
McCoy dialed 9-1-1 during the chase claiming to have a child in the car, hoping that would force officers to back off the pursuit, according to New Port Richey Police.
McCoy now faces a slew of charges including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing to elude, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, misuse of 9-1-1, and resisting arrest with violence.
Police arrested McCoy in 2015 for a similar incident. McCoy struck Sgt. Mellecker with a vehicle with the officer interrupted a drug deal at Green Key Road and U.S. 19.
