By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Officer Ernesto Valerio used a PIT maneuver on May 16 to stop Darrell Simon after Simon drove his vehicle through the active bicycle and run courses during the Ironman Jacksonville event in the city’s Riverside neighborhood.
- Dashcam footage released by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office showed Simon’s vehicle nearly striking competing cyclists before multiple attempts to pull him over failed; Motorcycle Officer Aaron Sanchez also attempted to stop the vehicle with his motorcycle.
- Simon was arrested and charged with eight felonies and approximately a dozen misdemeanors; it was his third DUI arrest in the past ten years.
- No athletes, spectators, or officers were reported injured during the incident.
- The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released the dashcam footage publicly via social media and commended both officers for their actions during the event.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officer deployed a PIT maneuver last month to stop an allegedly intoxicated driver who entered the active course of the Ironman Jacksonville triathlon, coming within close proximity of competing cyclists before officers were able to bring his vehicle to a stop, dashcam footage released by the agency shows.
The incident occurred May 16 in Jacksonville’s Riverside neighborhood, where Officer Ernesto Valerio was stationed blocking traffic in support of the Ironman Jacksonville 26.2-mile run portion of the event. A radio call alerted officers that a vehicle had entered the active bike and run courses. Valerio was able to locate and close in on the vehicle, with dashcam footage showing it moving through the course area and passing in close proximity to cyclists participating in the race.
Motorcycle Officer Aaron Sanchez responded to assist and positioned himself in front of the vehicle in an attempt to bring it to a stop. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office stated that Sanchez placed himself at significant personal risk during that maneuver. Despite multiple attempts by both Valerio and Sanchez to initiate a traffic stop, the driver — later identified as Darrell Simon — refused to comply and continued driving. Valerio ultimately executed a PIT maneuver at an intersection, causing Simon’s vehicle to spin out and come to rest, ending the incident without reported injury to any athletes, spectators, or officers.
Simon was taken into custody at the scene and subsequently charged with eight felony counts and approximately a dozen misdemeanor counts. Authorities noted that the May 16 arrest represented Simon’s third DUI-related arrest within the past ten years. Additional details regarding the specific charges or Simon’s court status were not included in the agency’s public release.
“We are incredibly proud of our officers for putting their lives on the line in this moment to protect the Ironman athletes and spectators from what could have been a tragedy,” the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office stated in its social media post accompanying the dashcam footage.