A 35-year-old Daytona Beach man was sentenced to 30 years, with the first 10 to be served behind bars, after pleading guilty to fleeing police and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in a case stemming from a drug-fueled police chase that tore through Houston County residential streets and past a local high school. Lawrence Jermaine Kloc entered his plea Wednesday in Houston County Superior Court, closing out a case that began with a routine traffic stop over tinted windows.
According to 41NBC News, Houston County Sheriff's Office deputies tried to pull Kloc over near Watson Boulevard on July 21 for a window-tint violation. Instead of stopping, Kloc led deputies on a high-speed chase through residential streets and near Northside High School, the outlet reports, citing the district attorney's office.
Pursuit Ended With a PIT Maneuver and Tasers
Deputy Quentin Ramsey ultimately ended the vehicle pursuit using a pursuit immobilization technique maneuver, per the same account. Kloc then tried to run on foot before deputies caught up and used tasers to take him into custody, according to authorities cited in the report.
Once Kloc was in custody, deputies searched his vehicle and found more than an ounce of methamphetamine, a smaller amount of cocaine, and packaging materials, the station's report states. Those findings formed the basis for the drug charge Kloc pleaded guilty to alongside fleeing police.
Prosecutors and Deputies Praised for Handling the Case
Senior Assistant District Attorney Mike Smith released a statement thanking the Houston County Sheriff's Office traffic division for its efforts, specifically commending Deputies Dalton Windham and Quentin Ramsey for their roles in bringing the pursuit to a close.
District Attorney Eric Edwards also released a statement condemning Kloc's high-speed flight while praising law enforcement's response. Edwards said fleeing law enforcement is not a minor offense simply because nobody was hurt, and added that his office will continue to seek substantial prison sentences for criminals who create pursuit dangers in Houston County. Edwards also praised Smith for securing the sentence against Kloc.
Another Pursuit on the Same Road
Watson Boulevard has seen more than one dangerous chase this year. In a separate incident reported by 13WMAZ, a Houston County deputy joined a chase near where Watson Boulevard intersects Collins Avenue, during which the driver struck another vehicle near Pleasant Hill and kept going. That driver, identified as 28-year-old Thomas Virgil Wilds, was arrested along with two other women, according to the station.
