Lady Lake police deployed stop sticks to apprehend a man in a stolen Cadillac after a chase of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.
Joshua Douglas Atkins, 31, of 206 Morningside Ave. in Lady Lake, had been at the wheel of the gold 2005 Cadillac when officers deployed stop sticks and hit three of the vehicle’s four tires at about 10 p.m. Tuesday at U.S. Hwy. 27/441 near the entrance to Water Oak Golf & Country Club, according to an arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department.
When police officers removed Atkins from the vehicle, they asked him why he fled from law enforcement in a chase which began after the vehicle was reported stolen in Tavares.
“It’s fun,” Atkins replied.
He added that one of the reasons he decided to hit the gas was because he was driving on a suspended license.
The chase had involved Lake County sheriff’s deputies and the Fruitland Park Police Department.
At the end of the pursuit, Atkins was found to be in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.
Atkins was arrested on charges of fleeing to elude law enforcement, driving while license suspended, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. He was booked at the Lake County Jail on $16,000 bond.
Atkins had been arrested in 2020 with a gun and drugs at the Walmart in Leesburg.
