SEBRING, Fla. (CBS12) — A bizarre chase unfolded in central Florida when a suspect offered a vodka spritzer to deputies during a pursuit.
The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said it all began at around 2:55 p.m. on April 19, when Richard Christopher Smith, 39, allegedly stole several items, including alcoholic beverages, from the Spring Lake Market in Sebring.
Smith allegedly was seen driving circles around the store in a black minivan before speeding off as deputies arrived.
Video captures the pursuit, which ended several miles later in the parking lot of a business at the Sebring Airport.
During the chase, Smith reportedly held a can of Ketel One vodka spritz out the window, telling a deputy, “I was just going to give you a drink, that’s it,” as he drove by. Despite the unusual offer, the sheriff’s office said the pursuit continued, with Smith attempting to ram two patrol vehicles before his tires were flattened by spike strips.
After crashing, the video shows Smith calmly puffing on a cigarette and attempting to walk away from the scene. He was eventually tased and arrested.
Smith was arrested and booked into the county jail for two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, battery on a law enforcement officer, two counts of resisting arrest, DUI, refusal to submit to a DUI test, and petit theft. His bond was set at $120,000.
