Man drowns in pond after short police chase in Pinellas Park

From Tampabay.com


PINELLAS PARK — A 34-year-old Pinellas Park man drowned after being hit with a Taser and crawling into a pond during a police chase early Sunday, according to police.

At about 12:19 a.m., police received an emergency call for a domestic dispute in the area of 43rd Street and 70th Avenue.

Police found Dale Lee Mitchell leaving a wooded area and began questioning him. They determined that Mitchell lived at the location of the 911 call and was involved in some kind of domestic disturbance.

While questioning him, police saw Mitchell toss some pills on the ground. As police tried to identify the pills, he fled, according to police.

He ran through the neighborhood before entering his back yard at 4316 70 Ave. N.

Officer Matthew Patch caught up to him in the back yard and attempted to apprehend him. He fired a Taser, causing Mitchell to fall.

He fell down an inclined embankment and rolled on the ground, dislodging the Taser wires.

Police said Mitchell then began to crawl into the water. He moved into deeper water and began to struggle.

Officers saw him disappear under the water several yards off the embankment.

Officer Cassidy Perry went into the pond to rescue him, but couldn't find him.

A fire department dive team eventually found Mitchell at 2:40 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the initial domestic call was between Mitchell and his live-in girlfriend.

Mitchell's girlfriend, Janitta Leaks, told Bay News 9 that she believed police were responsible for his death.

"I believe they just let him die, I really do," she said. "It took them at least a good hour before the scubas got in there."

Leaks said he was able to swim.

Most importantly, no horses were injured during the incident. They are such beautiful animals after all.
Things would have gone much better if responding officers would of had horses available to them. The presence of horses at the scene would have enabled the officers to take the man into custody without incident. He would never of tried running from a horse of course. If he had, the horse would have taken him into custody without any need for a Taser or any violence at all because horses are gentle and loving creatures. If the man still managed to get into the pond, the horse would have swam after him and the man would have been able to pull himself up onto the horse by grasping its mane. Things would be much better for everyone if each and every officer were issued a horse, which by the way are beautiful animals.

With the horses,every officer should get scuba gear and teach suspects how to swim before they elude police.

Every day it just gets worse and worse on here. It's pathetic. There is so much hate, anger, stupidity, and childish game playing on here that it's a disgrace and an embarrassment. Don't any of you care at all that this is what people see and hear, and then ultimately think of you when the see you? Why put so much time and effort into tearing each other and the department down when it gets you nowhere? These aren't serious issues, it's pettiness, mean spirited personalities, and possibly jealousy. And now you start a thread tearing down a good guy over a call that you guys weren't on? Way to be team players and good people. Notice how I didn't say adults though? And this thing with the horses is getting old.How sad that your so obsessed with the horses and their riders that you have to cross topics/threads and make this one about them too.You guys should all get a hobby, maybe finish your potty training,and grow up. And nice to see the Mod not let people's names be used here like usual. I mean you post a thread about a detective with his name it gets yanked. Nice double standard.

I agree that the postings here have caused the public to hate all PPPD officers' guts. The only solution is to have the taxpayers purchase more horses for the agency. Then the agency should make a press release about how much the horses cost to purchase and to maintain, as well as how much the taxpayers spend to pay the officers for their time related to horses. Then there can be a press conference explaining how cost effective the horses are. This, along with the fact that horses are beautiful animals, should easily win the hearts and minds of the citizens.

Every day it just gets worse and worse on here. It's pathetic. There is so much hate, anger, stupidity, and childish game playing on here that it's a disgrace and an embarrassment. Don't any of you care at all that this is what people see and hear, and then ultimately think of you when the see you? Why put so much time and effort into tearing each other and the department down when it gets you nowhere? These aren't serious issues, it's pettiness, mean spirited personalities, and possibly jealousy. And now you start a thread tearing down a good guy over a call that you guys weren't on? Way to be team players and good people. Notice how I didn't say adults though? And this thing with the horses is getting old.How sad that your so obsessed with the horses and their riders that you have to cross topics/threads and make this one about them too.You guys should all get a hobby, maybe finish your potty training,and grow up. And nice to see the Mod not let people's names be used here like usual. I mean you post a thread about a detective with his name it gets yanked. Nice double standard.

I agree with your post, it's getting old. Why keep complaining about things that are beyond your control? Just worry about the things that you can and you will be fine. I too find it odd how certain names are removed instantly but this poor guy, who did nothing but his job, is not afforded the same protection. Each time it happens sheds more light on the MOD whose supposed anonymity is a joke at best. What happened to the ARMY of moderators that MOD1 unleashed on this board after convening an emergency meeting with the brass?

The officer's name should be removed as he did nothing wrong. This non-swimming pond-scum, well he was for a little while anyway, sealed his fate with years of poor decisions prior to meeting the officers last night. Though I am certain that on 3/19/2011 he had "just began to turn his life around" this county and planet is just a little bit better today than it was yesterday.

I would have handcuffed him and then pushed him in the water

I guess he sould have brought his water wings.......

I'm just glad that no horses were injured in this incident, they are such majestic beautiful creatures that the department really needs....

Da Scubas???????????????????????

Da Scubas???????????????????????

Janitta Leaks be arrested mmany times yes she be

If she be seeing him why she not jump down and be saving him

I shock

What is sad is that you try and tear through a good cop that did something that only a handful of our people would have had the guts to do. But you know what? The pathetic thing is this: Even if he KNEW who was unwaveringly critical of his efforts, and that cowardice officer was in the same predicament as the perp, that idiot, the same one that you tried to smear, would risk everything in the drink to save your butt too…….and I hate him for that. I, for one, couldn’t. Phil Collins has issued a statement on my behalf,

Well if you told me you were drowning
I would not lend a hand
I've seen your face before, my friend
But I don't know if you know who I am?
Well I was there and I saw what you did
I saw it with my own two eyes
So you can wipe off that grin
Know where you've been
It's all been a pack of lies

What is sad is that you try and tear through a good cop that did something that only a handful of our people would have had the guts to do. But you know what? The pathetic thing is this: Even if he KNEW who was unwaveringly critical of his efforts, and that cowardice officer was in the same predicament as the perp, that idiot, the same one that you tried to smear, would risk everything in the drink to save your butt too…….and I hate him for that. I, for one, couldn’t. Phil Collins has issued a statement on my behalf,

Well if you told me you were drowning
I would not lend a hand
I've seen your face before, my friend
But I don't know if you know who I am?
Well I was there and I saw what you did
I saw it with my own two eyes
So you can wipe off that grin
Know where you've been
It's all been a pack of lies
There's something that's been on my mind...
All the time
Su-su-sudio
Hmmm...that would make a great name for a horse...

Why do some peeps come wit da drama? I aint heard nos body tearing apart or even criztizing that officer on here. Some mans, like seriously, be trying reals hard to make its look like peeps be down on the taser trigger man, but that aint fartha from the truths. he done did his jobs and let the chips fall where thay gots to.

Why do some peeps come wit da drama? I aint heard nos body tearing apart or even criztizing that officer on here. Some mans, like seriously, be trying reals hard to make its look like peeps be down on the taser trigger man, but that aint fartha from the truths. he done did his jobs and let the chips fall where thay gots to.

That's because the MOD cleaned up the board days ago, but thanks for being so astute.

Shut it. Zip it. Just keep your tongue behind your teeth before you set someone off and you find yourself on the losing end of a battle like youve never dreamed of before, punk mouth.

Let me see if I get this right. The Mod Squad pulls two of three posts that cleverly identified NO ONE, nor violated any of the terms of use, according to their own documents, and yet they leave two posts in this thread that could loosely be interpreted as a third degree felony. I’m throwing the flag on this one!

Let me see if I get this right. The Mod Squad pulls two of three posts that cleverly identified NO ONE, nor violated any of the terms of use, according to their own documents, and yet they leave two posts in this thread that could loosely be interpreted as a third degree felony. I’m throwing the flag on this one!

See, the way it works here is you have to be friends with the "Mod Squad". If you're a pal, any post that might even hint at being about you will be yanked, and if you aren't a pal, you are left to hang in the wind. The rest of the crap the Mod just doesn't care about. Get with the program :devil: