From Sheriff Wayne Ivey:
LET ME BE VERY CLEAR…WE DON’T PLAY THAT IN BREVARD COUNTY!!
Last night while we were all sleeping safe and sound in our beds, Deputy Tyler Swatchick was out keeping our streets safe by sending an electrifying message to Spencer Cunningham that we don’t play that crap here in Brevard County!!
The case started after citizens, who were patronizing a local gas station in the City of Canaveral, reported that a vehicle was doing donuts in the parking lot as the driver was yelling racial slurs out the window toward them!! The citizens further reported that the vehicle had left the premises and provided a direction of travel as well as a description of the the vehicle, a blue pickup truck!!
While canvassing the area, Deputy Swatchick observed a blue pickup truck doing a “burnout” as it was leaving the Cumberland Farms Gas Station at a high rate of speed traveling north on N. Atlantic Avenue. Deputy Swatchick began to try and catch up to the truck that matched the description of the earlier reported vehicle, and then witnessed the pickup truck doing another “burnout” as it turned west on Central Avenue. As Deputy Swatchick turned on his blue lights to initiate a traffic stop, the truck immediately accelerated and attempted to flee.
As everyone is fast learning, if you run from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, we are going to track your butt down and lock you up, so Deputy Swatchick continued to stay behind the vehicle until the driver, Spencer Cunningham, eventually slowed down and stopped near the intersection of West Central Ave. and Brown Circle. Cunningham was then given numerous lawful commands to shut off the vehicle and exit, which he initially refused, and after several more repeated commands he shut off the vehicle and exited. As Cunningham exited the truck, Deputy Swatchick attempted to place him under arrest, at which time he began to physically resist and was immediately taken to the ground where he continued to resist in an effort to avoid arrest. Deputy Swatchick then gave Cunningham what we like to call “the 5 second ride” as he tased him to gain compliance and guess what…he all of sudden got with the program and stopped resisting!!
