A man, who says he was in fear of MNPD, fled a traffic stop, nearly hitting the officer who stopped him. Another officer spotted the vehicle, and pulled him over for the felony offense. The man sped to the safety of a business parking lot, & called 911 to ask for a Sergeant to come to the scene. The Sergeant arrived, and when the man refused to exit the vehicle, or cooperate with police to be arrested, was allowed to simply drive away from the scene.
On December 3rd, Aroldo Fonseca, 38, was pulled over for an expired temp tag on his vehicle. He says he felt scared and harassed by MNPD, and fled from the traffic stop. MNPD says he nearly struck an officer as he fled the traffic stop, and was now wanted for felony reckless endangerment.
A short time later, Officer Garren Hoskins noticed Fonseca’s 2000 Green Toyota van near Dr. D.B. Todd Blvd. & Buchanan St. as it ran the red light at that intersection. Officer Hoskins attempted to initiate a traffic stop, however once his emergency equipment was activated, the vehicle quickly sped toward Clarksville Pike.
The driver of the vehicle, Fonseca, says he was attempting to get to a safe location, and found a business parking lot, Save-A-Lot, to pull over, and the officer pulled in behind him. Officer Hoskins approached the van, and says that Fonseca was “irate” and “screaming” at him when he told him the reason for the stop. Fonseca immediately called 911, and told dispatchers he was felt he was being harassed, and requested a Sergeant respond to the scene.
MNPD Sergeant Gene Martin arrived to the scene, at which time Fonseca was willing to give his identification to the officers. Officers orders Fonseca to exit the vehicle to be placed under arrest for reckless endangerment, however Fonseca refused, and would not exit the vehicle or comply with any further commands.
Fonseca now had pending charges for felony reckless endangerment and felony evading arrest, and was less than a foot from MNPD officers, inside his van, refusing to exit the vehicle. Instead of removing him from the vehicle, and taking him into custody, Sergeant Martin decided to allow him to drive away and take out warrants later.
In a statement, MNPD says that “for the safety of all involved, including a female passenger in the van, officers did not attempt to force Fonseca out of the van”.
MNPD charged Fonseca with making a “non-emergency 911 call”, in addition to the reckless endangerment and evading arrest charges. He was arrested the following day, and is currently free on a $13,000 bond. Police say that Fonseca was previously cited for with making a non-emergency 911 call in September, when he locked himself inside his vehicle and called 911 for a supervisor when an officer observed him smoking marijuana and approached him in a parking lot that was marked ‘no trespassing’.
