It took a pursuit by car, on foot, and with a K-9, who bit the suspect several times in the woods, before Johnny M. Jones surrendered to police Monday and blamed smoking weed and his paranoia for having just taken Florida Highway Patrol troopers on a two-county chase. It wasn’t his first arrest after a chase.
The chase included speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, an alleged attempt, at one point, to strike a patrol vehicle head on, and several miles during which Jones drove on the wrong side of U.S. 1 in Flagler County, endangering several other motorists and, not least, himself and his passenger, Drew Jones, who was not arrested.
Johnny Jones, a 25-year-old resident of Indian Lake Road in Daytona Beach, was charged with two felonies and three misdemeanors when it was all over, including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding, driving on a suspended or revoked license, and willful and wanton, reckless driving. He was not charged with a drug offense. In January, Jones was arrested in Volusia County on charges of driving on a revoked or suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In May, he’d been arrested for fleeing police and causing death or serious injury.
The incident began late Monday morning when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper spotted Jones driving a silver Buick with tinted windows on U.S. 1. Jones was just south of Bunnell, traveling north on U.S. 1. The trooper judged the tint too dark and caught up with the Buick just inside the city limits of Bunnell. But just as the trooper activated the patrol car’s emergency lights, Jones accelerated and went through several residential streets in an attempt, allegedly, to elude the trooper. The trooper called for back-up.
The second trooper joined the chase and informed the first that at one point Jones had almost struck him “intentionally,” head-on, according to the arrest report. Jones was soon speeding south on U.S. 1, with both troopers behind him. The Buick “maintained speeds of over 100 miles per hour,” Jones’s arrest report states, running the red light at Seminole Woods, continuing south, and eventually crossing over the median and driving south in the northbound lanes of U.S. 1, obviously and dangerously against oncoming traffic.
The troopers remained in the southbound lanes but continued the pursuit, seeing several vehicles in the northbound lanes taking evasive actions to avoid colliding with Jones’s Buick. The Buick traveled on the wrong side of the road for about 4 miles, the trooper reported, as it approached the busy intersection of U.S. 1 with I-95, when the troopers were advised by a supervisor to ease off and cease the high-speed pursuit, because of the potential risk with the increased traffic. The two troopers deactivated their emergency lights as they neared I-95.
Around that point the Buick weaved back into the southbound lanes. As it slowed somewhat, the troopers reengaged the pursuit with their emergency lights, past I-95. By then the chase had reached Volusia County and Jones veered onto side streets. The two troopers then came upon the Buick stopped in the road right after a sharp curve on North Tymber Creek Road.
The passenger, 20-year-old Drew Jones, got out of the vehicle, got on the ground with his hands behind his back, and told one of the troopers: “Handcuff me.” The second trooper had a K-9 with him –K-9 Ronnie—and let the dog loose into the woods as several unites of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene.
Johnny Jones was soon spotted in the woods, bleeding from several “punctures, abrasions and other wounds,” according to his arrest report. He was first taken to a substation in Volusia County “because although cleared by Rescue, he was vomiting.”
“I was smoking weed and I was paranoid,” Jones told a trooper while in his holding cell, after hearing his Miranda rights. “If I wasn’t high, I’d just pull over.” Jones said he knew he was going to prison. After he was medically cleared, he was transported to the Flagler County jail, where he remains today on $9,000 bond.
The tint on the Buick’s rear left window was measured at 13 percent.
Outsider says
But weed is safer than alcohol.
Anonymous says
article said police got him…
we don’t have police…
Anonymity says
He used to be a star football player for fpc too. Such potential wasted…
Banjomatic says
Let’s see here. Two priors one involving death or serious injury and this incident resulted in two felony charges and a misdemeanor.
$9000 bond.
What dimwitted pansy decided this guy needed to be turned loose on the public again?
Geezer says
It’s the Johnny Jones’s of the world that I fear when a loved one takes the wheel and drives away.
Evidently, this a person who only cares about himself, and has no qualms about hurting others.
Yeah, the pot made him do it. Idiot.
I regard this as a violent crime. Attention inmates and correction officers: heeeere’s Johnny!
I’ll bet he makes the “Florida Man” section on Reddit.
“Handcuff me.”
Anonymous says
He wasn’t running because he was high…
Bbvvb says
It was his brother that said handcuff me. He didn’t run.
Jadobi says
Indian Lake Road….. That’s the Volusia County Branch Jail.
poster says
If it was booze, he would have crashed, outsider.
footballen says
Kid was quite an athlete, his step father is a very good man that tried very hard for him. If only he had listened to the good influences in his life.
maggie says
“Pot” didn’t make him do this, unless “having over 20 grams in his possession while being pursued by the law” prompted him to start eating it.
Yeah, eat an ounce of pot in a short period of time and see if you puke too…bet you do….
joe says
1st he could never make those maneuvers without hurting anyone if drunk, weed was just an excuse, 2nd all this for a tinted window? Seems like alot for jus a simple tinted window
Retired says
So much for the argument that people don’t drive while under the influence of Marijuana. I can’t wait for the responses to this post.
not surprised says
The article doesn’t mention the rest of his criminal record dating back to his high school days–more than one robbery, including one home invasion/armed robbery/grand theft conviction. He is a repeat offender who has had more than his share of ‘second chances.’ He needs to be off the streets before one of his exploits results in someone’s death!
Dave says
Weed, sounds like more than weed caused this nut to do what he did.
Concerned Citizen says
@Geezer…Its not nice to call people names and he is not an “IDIOT”. I’m sure you have some CRAZY AND FOOLISH BOYS in your family as well anprobablyly has done way more than Johnny…One thing about it…God sees’ hears and knows everything. So be careful about how you talk about people…
Geezer says
@Concerned Citizen says:
Thank you for the sage advice. Your friend endangered many people with his idiotic
escapades, while driving a two-ton+ projectile. That my friend is the very embodiment of an “idiot.”
Please know that “Idiot” is a “clean” derogation used to spare your eyes from ugly foul language
that others employ regularly. Besides, “idiot” is an understatement.
Heck, in this case it’s a compliment!
What would you have said if Johnny had plowed into another car, and killed or maimed its occupants?
And as far as foolishness goes – you bet: boys will be boys. I undestand that Johnny is twenty-five.
Johnny is not a boy anymore.
I sincerely hope that Johnny gets the drift and takes big steps to salvage his life.
Right now, he’s circling the drain. But then again he has you to defend him.
Me calling Johnny an idiot is bug-cockey compared to what may await him due to his actions.
Thank you for scolding me – it was entertaining.
I’m glad that somebody reads my scribbles.
I send you a big toothy smile.
–The Geezer
real flagler residence; says
Many of you are too funny! This adult male has nothing to do with football at FPC, why do you all keep trying to make that connection when he’s been almost 10 years removed from school. He gets no sympathy from any of his coaches for his criminal behavior.. As a teenager yes many tried to steer him straight, but making him an outstanding football player is not what he’ll ever be remembered for in Flagler County. He’s now an adult criminal, who still needs help from the adult justice system, get over it.