- December 5, 2025
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10:47 p.m., 3200 block of North Orange Avenue
Fight: With multiple fights taking place simultaneously at the football stadium, an officer responded to Booker High School where they observed several large groups of juveniles fighting in the concourse area. The SPD officer, who was advised by a school system officer to assist in ordering subjects to leave the area, witnessed several large groups of teenagers engaging in fights.
Despite being given orders to vacate the premises, two juveniles dropped to the ground began fighting directly in front of the officer. Concerned that lack of intervention might lead to injury or trigger even more fisticuffs, rather than employing diplomacy the officer effectively deployed pepper spray, which resulted in a cessation of hostilities.
As the spray wafted into the late night air, several other subjects dispersed. Police on scene were not able to determine the cause of the outbreak of conflict. There were no injuries reported, and none of the combatants wished to file a report.
Because of the number of brawlers and the absence of backup, the SPD officer determined the most prudent course of action was to assist with dispersing the violent crowd to prevent further incidents. None of the juveniles involved were detained.
6:21 p.m., 1700 block of Alta Vista Street
Road rage: An officer was dispatched to a call regarding a road rage incident by witnesses who saw three vehicles chasing a fourth in the 1700 block of Alta Vista Street. Witnesses at nearby residences called 911 to report that a driver of a white van informed them that he was being chased.
The witness who placed the call said he saw a black Chevrolet Trailblazer occupied by three males was chasing a white minivan occupied by one male. Another officer observed a vehicle matching the description leaving the area southbound on South Orange Avenue and initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle was occupied by three young males who matched the description of the suspect vehicle as described by the witnesses.
The three admitted they were involved in the incident but claimed they were not the instigators, and that the driver of the white van had initiated a verbal altercation with the occupants of the BMW.
As the story goes, the BMW, the Trailblazer and a white Crown Victoria were traveling together to the same destination along South Tamiami Trail. The driver of the white van, accusers allege, became aggressive toward the occupants of the BMW and threw a metal pipe at the vehicle, resulting in a significant scratch, then left the scene. In response, the drivers of the three vehicles attempted to follow the van in order to persuade the driver to stop and/or obtain the license plate number.
The driver of the BMW said when the van approached his vehicle on the left side the driver yelled at him to “fix your car,” augmented by several profanities. What specific repairs the van driver thought needed to be affected, nor why he cared, was not included in the incident report.
That encounter sparked the chase, during which at one point, when stopped, the drivers engaged in a shouting match before the van drove away. Shortly afterward, the vehicles came back in contact with one another at an intersection, which is when the van driver is alleged to have thrown the metal pipe.
Witnesses in the vehicles and along the chase route generally confirmed the sequence of events with one twist: two of them alleged the driver of the Trailblazer at one point brandished a firearm, a claim denied by the occupants of that vehicle.
Because of those allegations, however, the owner of the Trailblazer was asked to consent to a search of the vehicle, during which two firearms were located. That resulted in an arrest of the owner for possession of firearms.
Meanwhile, the BMW owner produced a photo of the white van and license plate, whose owner was identified. The BMW owner claimed the damages to his vehicle at $5,000 and wished to press charges once apprehended.
