A Summerfield man in a BMW was arrested for driving with a suspended license during an investigation into a drive-by shooting.
A deputy responded to a possible drive-by shooting in the area of Southeast 103rd Avenue and Southeast 167th Place Road in Sumerfield at 11 p.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The anonymous complainant advised that 42-year-old Steven Wayne West was driving a white BMW SUV up and down the streets of the neighborhood while firing off what sounded like gunshots.
Upon arrival, the deputy spotted the BMW on the eastbound side of the intersection of South U.S. Hwy. 441 and Southeast Highway 42. He then pulled over the vehicle in the 9900 block of Southeast Hwy. 42. After stopping, West put the BMW in reverse and nearly struck the patrol vehicle, the report said.
A felony takedown was then conducted, at which point West exited the vehicle and was detained. During the investigation that followed, the deputy learned West did not have a valid license. He advised that he was driving around the neighborhood with his friend, and it was just a quick drive on Southeast Hwy. 42, the report said.
A subsequent check of his driving history determined he had an active suspension out of Henry County, Virginia, for DUI and driving with a suspended license. The suspension and guilty conviction were put in place on July 3, 2008. He also had a guilty conviction for driving with a suspended license in the same county on July 7, 2010, the report said.
Additionally, West had been found guilty of battery on a law enforcement officer in Henry County on March 25, 2009, the report said.
The investigation ultimately found that the alleged drive-by shooting was unfounded. There was no firearm located on West or in his vehicle, the report said.
West was still arrested on charge of driving while license suspended or revoked for DUI (third or subsequent violation). The Virginia native was booked at Marion County Jail and released after posting $10,000 bond.