June 26 update: Jimmie Lee Belle III turned himself into the Flagler County jail today (June 26). He is currently being booked into the jail with charges of Aggravated fleeing or eluding with injury or property damage, Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, Driving while license suspended or revoked, and Violation of Probation. Belle will be held without bond.
June 25–Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies are looking for Jimmie Lee Belle III, a 24-year-old resident of 30 Ryker Lane in Palm Coast, after he ran over a deputy’s foot and fled during a traffic stop Saturday (June 24).
Belle is already serving three years’ probation after being found guilty of domestic battery by strangulation last month, based on a January incident involving Belle and his 20-year-old girlfriend.
Saturday evening, around 6:53 p.m., deputy Richard Petkovsek was conducting a traffic stop on 2nd Street South in Flagler Beach after Belle’s vehicle allegedly ran through a stop sign. After making contact with Belle, who was driving, Belle “accelerated his vehicle and ran over Deputy Petkovsek’s foot,” according to a release the sheriff’s office issued late Saturday.
Belle was last seen driving westbound over the Flagler Beach bridge. He is driving a gray 2016 Dodge Dart with Florida tag DUJ D90. Belle III is currently facing charges of Aggravated Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, Fleeing and Eluding, and Driving with a Suspended License with Knowledge. Presumably, he will also be facing a probation violation charge.
According to his arrest report at the time, he threw the victim on the ground, partially strangled and bit her in an attempt to keep her from leaving.
Petkovsek, the CrimeStoppers’ Flagler Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler for treatment and was released. He is known among defense attorneys for being particularly aggressive in enforcing stop-sign rules, pulling vehicles over even when they stop, but after crossing the white line.
Richard Smith says
We need more LEO’s like deputy Petkovsek who believe in having people OBEY the law. As a new Florida resident I am appalled at the flagrant abuse here of driver’s NOT stopping for STOP signs and worse yet, the Right Turn-On-Red privilege. I have had people never stop for stop signs and turn abruptly in front of me. Then there are the driver’s who don’t obey the law when both vehicles arrive at the stop sign at the SAME time. The law states the vehicle to the right HAS the right of way. Well not here in Florida. It’s driver BEWARE! Then there are the driver’s who NEVER stop at the red light when turning right-on-red and most times will pull out in front of you causing you to slam on your brakes to prevent from hitting them. The right-on-red is a privilege and not a RIGHT. Plus someone sitting at a red light does NOT have to turn right if they don’t want to. You are “allowed” to turn right ONLY after coming to a stop and observing whether there are approaching vehicles or not. If none, then you are allowed to turn right when the intersection is safe to do so, Personally I think 50% of Florida drivers or more should have their licenses revoked until they take and pass a drivers education program.
sad says
Known for being agressive to drivers for doing a california stop or even stopping give me a break why dont they agressively stop the open air drug market in bunnell that runs 24 hrs a day 7 days a week
SugarWig says
Right! And the Mondex is even worse!!! Don’t even get me started on under aged drinking out there, smh
MomOf2 says
Stop singling out Bunnell …Palm Coast is just as bad if not worse with drugs. No one seems to “notice” because its easier to point the finger in the other direction as to not tarnish PC “pretty picture”.
dinonugget lagunnerdog says
Junkies are all over pc #zombieApocalypse
Veteran says
I’d rather live in Mondex than the R section!
Anonymous says
I agree!!!!!!!!!!!
Ben Dover says
I see it all the time, big broad stripes marking pedestrian lanes at lights, and people are always blocking the path at lights, and since I bought a Mustang , ….every idiot in town wants to race, they roar off then slow down and wait for me , I usually just clap in their face …..as if to say I`m impressed, I`m not ,…..am sure I could blow the doors off some of them , but I only bought the car used because it was the cleanest well cared for car in my price range I could find , plus our streets aren`t race tracks, if I was in my twenties, I`d prolly be immature enough to take them on , Lord knows I had a GTO doing over 160 on rte 80 at 6 am in Jersey when no one else was on the 5 lane highway, but them days are gone, they must of have had a big sale on Challengers, it`s a lot of them wanting to race.
gmath55 says
Richard Petkovsek is known among defense attorneys for being particularly aggressive in enforcing stop-sign rules, pulling vehicles over even when they stop, but after crossing the white line.
Maybe his foot crossed the white line?
Joe Kenda says
Richard Smith you are CORRECT sir
Anonymous says
Aggravated battery?!? It was his foot!
Born and Raised Here says
Everytime on my daily bike rides it is almost impossible to cross at the intersections, because of all the irresponsible driver’s vehicles on the crosswalks, waiting to make a right turn or light to change. Terrible drivers.
can'tfoolme says
@ Anonymous: If it had been YOUR foot, you probably would consider it aggravate battery. That could do a lot of damage to a foot.
Komodo Dragon says
You can’t drive over someone’s foot unless the foot was placed in the line of the tires.
Yes, many blow right through the stop signs and act like they have the right to do so. I let them go to avoid any contact and hope law enforcement is watching. On times they have been caught, I pass by slowly and shoot the driver an appropriate comment. So glad to see those doing 60+ on Belle Terre shaking my Explorer as they pass me getting caught up ahead. I always holler ‘Good job’ to the law enforcer for busting that ass.
Itsme says
FLAGLER COUNTY IS A JOKE!! Junkies are everywhere
Mondex Man says
The Mondex is the best place in America to live. That is why people don’t like it they are jealous. The Mondex has the best freedom feeling, do what you want, live like you want, leave me alone attitude no tresspassing signs and gates and chickens and junk cars next to half million dollar homes. I love it here. Say what you want it is what America is all about… keep talking bad about it we don’t want you idiots moving back here and ruining it with rules and regulations lol
Shark says
How do you get your foot in a position to get run over.??????
GT says
Don’t get me wrong i think this loser needs to go to jail but if this cop pulled me over for crossing the line at a stop sign i might run over his foot too!
Anonymous says
Mondex Man, you are correct Sir!! We fled Palm Coast 16 years ago and have been safe inside the Mondex for all that time. A few years ago, while going through the Country Cooler at 5 pm, huge line of cars, the girls told us the Debit Card machine was down. They said if we didn’t have cash, just give them our first name and they would put it on the receipt and pin it to the cork board over the register, we could pay next time we went through. Now, we are by no means regulars there, stop in maybe 5 times a year. I paid 2 days later on my way home from work. Everyone paid what was owed. Try THAT Palm Coast!
You Shouldn't Have Done That says
Be happy! These seemly petty traffic stops are part of the new plan to find and remove the scum that live among us. Trust me this is a good thing, a REALLY good thing. Just think how many losers will be caught while conducting these stops. It’s smart, it’s legal, it’s been done before and it’s already working. My hats off to the new sheriff. If this is somehow an inconvenience to YOU, the law abiding citizens, then simply follow basic traffic laws and you wont be stopped. You see, criminals are dumb, they have a very difficult time following rules, yes even silly traffic rules like using a turn signal BEFORE changing lanes, they think they are too cool for it. They are used to doing whatever they want. The police will use this stupidity to their advantage. What will happen? A lot of people will start to drive correctly and a lot of losers will be removed from our community. It’s a win-win situation.
Richard Smith says
@You Shouldn’t Have Done That – Your message is Right On! Especially ” If this is somehow an inconvenience to YOU, the law abiding citizens, then simply follow basic traffic laws and you wont be stopped. – What will happen? A lot of people will start to drive correctly and a lot of losers will be removed from our community. It’s a win-win situation.” Love it!
Old Lady says
The deputies are always prownling town looking for young male drivers just to pull them over andd give them a hard time