Tampa Man Arrested After Multi-County Pursuit

TAMPA, Fla. – A 22-year-old man from Tampa has been apprehended by Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers and Tampa police following a high-speed pursuit spanning multiple counties on Friday night.

The incident unfolded around 9:27 p.m. when a FHP trooper initiated a traffic stop on a grey 2022 Chrysler 300 sedan at mile marker 293 on I-75. The suspect had evaded a previous attempt by Tampa police to pull him over, prompting the troopers to intervene.

According to an affidavit, the driver, identified as Ricky Javon Napper III, refused to stop and instead accelerated at a high speed. During the pursuit, Napper crashed into another vehicle before fleeing the scene of the accident.

FHP reported that Napper initially headed northbound on I-75 but abruptly changed direction and started driving southbound. A Tampa Police Department (TPD) helicopter closely monitored his movements. Napper then veered onto the outside shoulder, exhibiting highly erratic driving behavior.

Exiting I-75, Napper continued westbound on I-4, with law enforcement officials in pursuit. Eventually, he surrendered and pulled into a Circle K gas station situated at 6820 North 56th Street in Tampa.

Following his arrest, Napper was transported to the Hillsborough County Jail. He now faces charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, reckless driving causing property damage or personal injury, and fleeing to elude at a high speed.