Lecanto man arrested in Crystal River after vehicle pursuit and stand off with SWAT Team
Dailey, center, wearing shots, April 17, and mugshot from 2019, both courtesy of CCSO.
Citrus County, Florida - Shortly after 1:30 p.m., Sunday afternoon (Easter), April 17, 2022, deputies with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of W. Venable St. and W. Seven Rivers Dr. in Crystal River, Florida, when a deputy observed a gold Dodge pickup truck bearing a Tennessee tag - with the tag and truck both confirrmed as stolen - driven by a man later determined to be 39 year-old Michael James Dailey of Lecanto, Florida.
When deputies attempted to conduct the traffic stop, Dailey did not stop and led officials on a slow-speed vehicle pursuit that continued for roughly 45 minutes, during which Dailey briefly stopped the vehicle, numerous times, taking off again after each stop. During one of these stops, Dailey's passenger, 61 year-old Betty Joan Hall, also of Lecanto, safely exited the vehicle and informed deputies that Dailey was high on methamphetamine and had a firearm in the truck. Ms. Hall was placed under arrest, charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
As the pursuit continued, Dailey attempted to strike the patrol vehicles of several deputies with the stolen pickup truck, and rammed, head-on, the patrol car of one deputy. The pursuit ended in the Meadowcrest business plaza, with the tires of the stolen pickup truck being deflated as the result of deputies deploying stop sticks (a device with metal barbs that is designed to deflate tires) in the roadway and Dailey attempting to drive over a rock embankment which further immobilized the stolen vehicle.
When deputies commmanded Dailey to exit the immobolized vehicle, he refused, stating that he had a firearm inside the vehicle while making erratic movements. In response to the potentially deadly situation, the entranceway into the Meadowcrest plaza was blocked to traffic, and the agency's Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team was deployed to the area. After a 45-minute negotiation period, members of the SWAT Team deployed a flash-bang (a stun grenade-type explosive device that emits a loud noise and bright light when detonated, intended to disorient a suspect) which had little effect, so they fired two less-lethal gas rounds into the vehicle, after which Dailey surrendered to deputies and was arrested.
Dailey was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, driving while license suspended or revoked, aggravated fleeing from and eluding law enforcement personnel from the scene of a crash with property damage, aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, and resisting an officer without violence.
"Dailey showed a blatant disregard for law enforcement today," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "His actions put our deputies' lives in jeopardy and that of our citizens. Our office is thankful that we were able to apprehend Dailey without further incident, and that everyone on our team will be returning home safely this Easter."