Felon Captured After Pursuit, Crash In Pinellas County

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — A 44-year-old convicted felon wanted on several new charges is back in custody after a Tarpon Springs Police officer happened to spot him late Tuesday morning.

Kitran Hendrix didn’t go quietly, however, the police department wrote in an email to media.

Hendrix was wanted on two outstanding warrants and is a suspect in a May 2 attempted murder in the 300 block of East Lime Street, the agency noted. When the officer spotted Hendrix in the area of Boyer Street and Safford Avenue Tuesday morning, backup units were called.

Hendrix, police noted, has a history of running from law enforcement. And that’s exactly what he’s accused of doing Tuesday.

Police say Hendrix was getting into a gray four-door Honda when an officer approached him on foot. The officer gave him commands to stop, but “the vehicle began driving towards the officer on foot and another marked police vehicle that had arrived on scene,” the email said.

The officer on foot had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck by the vehicle, the email noted.

“Hendrix then crashed the vehicle into a chain link fence on the other side of the roadway,” the email said. He kept right on going though, police noted.

At that point, a vehicle pursuit began in Tarpon Springs with speeds reaching more than 70 mph, the agency noted. The chase continued on U.S. 19 North and proceeded southbound into and through Tarpon Springs and Palm Harbor, police said.

Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies also responded. Hendrix was ultimately brought into custody on Tampa Road near the intersection of Sheffield Circle East, police said.

While police were able to bring Hendrix into custody, an officer-involved crash with two other vehicles on southbound U.S. 19, between Spruce Street and Tarpon Avenue, occurred during the chase, police noted. The officer and occupants from two other vehicles were taken to local hospitals for treatment of “minor non-life threatening injuries,” police said.

Few details about the crash are available. Police did say the accident caused a temporary road closing Tuesday afternoon.

Hendrix now faces a long list of charges including aggravated assault with a motor vehicle on a law enforcement officer; aggravated fleeing and eluding; leaving the scene of a crash with damage; and felony driving on a suspended license. He also faces felony battery and felon in possession of a firearm charges on the outstanding warrants.

Police say the attempted murder remains under investigation.

No further details are being released at this time.

Booking photo courtesy of the Tarpon Springs Police Department

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