A Pasco County landscaper with a long criminal history is facing a whole new list of charges.
He’s accused of ramming two patrol cars during a chase.
The chase started as deputies pursued suspected drunk driver Christopher Conti.
You see body camera video from the Pasco Sheriff’s office, Conti’s landscaping truck slamming into a patrol car, then driving off on State Road 54 in New Port Richey.
Conti was driving with a blown out tire after running over Stop Sticks.
Investigators said Conti, who sports a “white power” tattoo on his chest, was on cocaine as he drove around West Pasco County.
“You have a person who is drugged out of his mind driving a 5,000 pound vehicle. That’s like somebody running through a mall with a gun waving it,” said Sheriff Chris Nocco.
As the chase turned down Trinity Boulevard, Conti’s truck side swiped a patrol car driven by Deputy Paul Reagan, spinning him out.
“I visually saw him rip on to the wheel and turn into my vehicle,” said Reagan.
Moments later, with the truck disabled, deputies rush in and finally make the arrest.
Conti admits to them he’s under the influence.
“I’m drugged out of my mind,” he said to deputies in the video.
Even though the chase went on during the early evening, with hundreds of drivers on the road, no one was injured.
“There could have been a family coming home from practice, from picking up the kids after daycare and this individual would have absolutely destroyed them,” said Nocco.
Tuesday in front of a judge, Conti said needs a public defender. And once again blamed drugs for his behavior.
“Sir I’d like to go on the record that I was drugged out of mind when this incident occurred. I was not of sound mind,” Conti said before the judge interrupted.
Conti was driving with revoked license, but deputies said they found a crack pipe in the truck.
The Sheriff’s office said his rap sheet before today is 30 pages long. Now he’s got a new list of charges including fleeing and eluding, aggravated assault on LEO, and aggravated battery on LEO.
