Police: Man leads officers on 2 chases

After failing to negotiate his car between a tree and a building behind a business at 145 E. Center Ave., Dean Earl Northcutt, Jr. got out of his vehicle and ran before city police arrested him, according to an arrest report.

"Northcutt's eyes were watery and his clothes were wet from urine and he had the obvious signs of being impaired," Officer Sean Bueford wrote in his report. "Due to Northcutt resisting it was determined not to attempt field sobriety exercises, but based on my observation I believed Northcutt to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage."

Northcutt was arrested early Thursday after police said he twice sped from officers trying to conduct traffic stops.

Northcutt, who is 24 and lives at 105 Farm Lane in Sebring, was charged with driving under the influence, resisting an officer and two counts each of fleeing to elude police and driving with a revoked license.

The fleeing and DUI charges are felonies.

The DUI charge is Northcutt's third within 10 years, police say.

The first attempt to stop Northcutt happened around 2 a.m. on North Ridgewood Drive, when Bueford said he saw Northcutt turn right onto Sebring Parkway without stopping for a red light.

Bueford said Northcutt turned left onto Maple Avenue and accelerated after he tried to stop him.

Bueford pursued Northcutt nearly to the intersection of Orange Street when Sgt. Thomas Gilliard told him to stop pursuing.

Northcutt then ran a stop sign at North Pine Street and turned left onto North Commerce Street, Bueford said.

Roughly 20 minutes later, Gilliard spotted Northcutt's Ford moving through a parking lot at 231 S. Ridgewood Drive toward North Franklin Avenue.

Northcutt turned around "and fled from Sgt. Gilliard" when Gilliard tried to stop him, Bueford reported.

As Gilliard pursued, Northcutt then "drove into the backyard of 145 W. Center St." and ran from his vehicle when "he could not get the vehicle between a building and a tree."

Gilliard ran after Northcutt, commanding him to stop. Northcutt obeyed Gilliard's order after a couple of blocks.