Tampa, Florida– A Florida judge on Thursday ordered the arrest of a man accused of murder Driving in a crowd of people outside a bar last weekend, killing four people and wounding more than a dozen others in the historic district of Tampa, Florida, known for its nightlife and tourists.
Silas Sampson, 22, was charged with 14 counts, including four felony counts of vehicular homicide, as well as reckless driving and fleeing the scene of an accident. Hillsborough County Chief Circuit Judge Christopher Sabella ordered Sampson held in jail without bail until trial on the vehicular homicide charges.
Hillsborough County prosecutors argued that Sampson did not deserve bail because he posed a threat to society.
But Sampson’s defense attorney, William Knight, argued during a brief court hearing Thursday that Sampson had no prior criminal record, even though he had previously been charged with a misdemeanor, and had no history of failing to appear in court.
According to the Tampa Police Department, an air patrol unit spotted a silver sedan driving recklessly on a highway early Saturday after it was seen racing down the street in another neighborhood. The Florida Highway Patrol caught up with the vehicle and attempted a PIT maneuver, which involves hitting the rear barrier to cause a rollover, but was unsuccessful.
Highway Patrol officers “disengaged” as the car sped toward historic Ybor City near downtown Tampa, police said, and the driver eventually lost control and struck more than a dozen people outside the bar, with Bradley in seventh place.
Three people died at the scene, and the fourth died in hospital.
In recent years, some states and local agencies have paid To restrict High-speed car chases to protect civilians and officers. Follow a Increase in deathsA 2023 study funded by the US Department of Justice called for stalking to be rare, saying the risks often outweigh the immediate need to detain someone.
However, the Florida Highway Patrol has eased restrictions on car pursuits and PIT maneuvers, tactics that the Justice Department-backed report described as “high-risk” and “controversial.”