Florida Takeover Event Busted By Sheriff’s Office

These kids thought doing donuts in a Target parking lot was cool.

Just after midnight on June 25, a pretty decent-sized group converged on a Target parking lot in Fort Myers for a takeover or sideshow event. While some labeling this as “street racing” we argue it’s entirely different since there’s no actual racing involved. Instead, kids who do this sort of thing mostly perform “tricks” like donuts and burnouts in their clapped-out rides to try impressing the crowd while bystanders film and take photos to upload to their social media accounts.

Learn how one Atlanta suburb stopped street takeovers before they ever started.

As one might imagine, this isn’t something Lee County Sheriff’s Office, known for its aggressive enforcement of the law, will take sitting down. Unlike some other cities which treat these gatherings with kid gloves, deputies descended to arrest and cite the drivers and onlookers.

One of those drivers was in such a hurry to try outrunning deputies he hit a spectator. The pedestrian also seemed to the running in an effort to not get caught. Some might say this is a negative consequence of the cops enforcing the law, but the sheriff’s office didn’t make anyone gathering in a Target parking lot after midnight for an illegal sideshow. Had the suspects just stayed and faced the consequences of their actions, the pedestrian wouldn’t have been hit.

In this instance, the Dodge Charger was able to slip through the perimeter set up by deputies. What the driver didn’t realize is even though no cruisers gave chase, the department’s helicopter was overhead, following his every move.

Like the kind of skilled driver who participates in street takeovers and sideshows, this suspect hit a raised median with the Dodge Charger, sending it flying and flipping onto the shoulder over two opposing lanes of traffic.

By that time, deputies were trailing behind, following directions from the helicopter. As the driver tried to run away from the wreckage, he was collared and charged for his crimes. And this, children, is why you shouldn’t go to these events ever.

Another driver who ran from deputies actually hit one of the department’s cars, blew through several red lights, and pushed his Mustang to about 100 mph on surface streets. He then parked the car at his apartment complex, but the helicopter was tracking his every move. When deputies showed up he ran away but was eventually taken into custody.

Several more drivers and their passengers were also arrested. We love seeing law enforcement crack down on these meetups because they’re often portrayed as car enthusiasts misbehaving, even though we know these kids aren’t really into cars, just social media clout.