Haines City, Florida- The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Carl Dunlap (DOB: 07/13/85) of Orlando with multiple counts of Attempted 1st Degree Murder Of A Law Enforcement Officer, Kidnapping, Fleeing To Elude, Resisting Arrest, Battery and more. The incident occurred around 7:30am, October 7, 2022 when Dunlap was spotted driving a vehicle believed to be involved in multiple Polk County burglaries.
Below is a copy of the affidavit: It should be noted that this is an unedited report of facts by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. These facts are up for question and everyone is entitled to question the validity of facts by law enforcement in a court of law. The Daily Ridge does not rewrite these facts as some meanings or interpretations could be in error and change context. We hope readers appreciate being able to read the information and come to their own understanding and conclusions:
On October 7, 2022, at approximately 0737 hours, Polk County Sheriff’s Office Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a dark gray Chevy Malibu bearing Florida tag PXND91 on Lake Wilson Road south off the intersection of Polk Osceola Polk Line. The suspect vehicle was utilized in burglaries in Polk County and Highlands Counties. The driver of the vehicle also matched the description of the suspect in these burglaries.
The unit conducting the traffic stop was operating a marked Polk County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle. The patrol vehicle has agency insignia to include a badge and the word Sheriff that is affixed in high contrast letters; in addition, it has red and blue lights that were activated during the traffic stop, which a reasonable person would believe to be a Law Enforcement vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Carl Reginald Dunlap (B/M DOB: 07/13/85), had knowledge that he had been ordered to stop by a duly authorized law enforcement officer. The defendant stopped, and as the officer began walking toward the vehicle, he fled in an attempt to elude the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Deputies.
Due to the actions of the defendant, Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies activated their sirens along with their lights in an attempt for the defendant to stop, at which time he did not comply.
During the course of the attempted eluding, the defendant drove at a high rate of speed (Over 100 mph) in a manner that demonstrated disregard for the safety of others. As a result, the defendant struck approximately two vehicles and left the scene of those crashes. The defendant disregarded multiple stop signs and traffic devices. In
addition, the suspect drove into oncoming traffic multiple times.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office Detective units (Northeast General Crimes Units) were involved in the pursuit although the vehicles do not have Polk County Sheriff’s Office insignia, they are equipped with sirens and lights, which were activated during the pursuit.
While traveling on Old Polk City Road, D/S Coquyt #8163 parked his Polk County Sheriff’s Office marked patrol vehicle on Polk City Road/Carlisle St. D/S Coquyt exited his vehicle and retrieved his agency-issued stop sticks from his vehicle trunk. D/S Coquyt was wearing a Polk County Sheriff’s Office approved K9 uniform that has agency insignia patches and clearly identifies him as a Law Enforcement Officer, and was on scene under a lawful call, while conducting lawful duties. During the time when D/S Coquyt was attempting to throw the stop sticks, he was standing on the shoulder of the road in the grassy area (off the road.) The defendant intentionally and unlawfully drove towards D/S Coquyt’s direction, driving his vehicle on the grass area off the road, directly at
Coquyt. Due to the defendant’s actions, D/S Coquyt was in a well-founded fear that the defendant was going to strike him with the vehicle causing great bodily harm. D/S Montalbano #6038 parked his marked Polk County Sheriff’s Office patrol car on Polk City Road/Leroy Drive. D/S Montalbano was wearing his Polk County Sheriff’s Office approved class B green uniform that has agency insignia patches and clearly identifies himself as a Law Enforcement Officer and was on scene under a
lawful call, conducting lawful duties. D/S Montalbano retrieved his stop sticks from his trunk and placed himself on Old Polk City Road (Westbound lane.) The defendant intentionally and unlawfully crossed over the lane toward D/S Montalbano as he was attempting to deploy his stop sticks. The defendant’s vehicle traveled off the
road with half of his vehicle in the grassy area where Montalbano was standing, causing the stop sticks to strike the side of the defendant’s vehicle as D/S Montalbano had no move out of the way to avoid getting struck. D/S Montalbano was in a well-founded fear that the defendant was going to strike him with the vehicle, causing great bodily harm.
After a successful PIT maneuver, the defendant’s vehicle came to a final rest. The defendant was given lawful verbal commands to put his hands up and exit the vehicle, which he refused to do. The suspect did not exit his vehicle and had to be escorted out of the vehicle by Polk County Sheriff’s Office Deputies.
Witness Redacted was in the passenger front side of the vehicle and complied with the verbal commands of the Law Enforcement Officers. During an interview with Redacted, she stated that when she saw the patrol car lights and siren, she advised the defendant to pull over and let her out of the vehicle, but he refused to do so. Redacted put the vehicle in Neutral, at which time the defendant intentionally and unlawfully struck her hand and told her to “stop.” Redacted repeatedly told the defendant to let her out of the vehicle, and he continued in the pursuit, thus holding her against her will. The battery was also against Redacted will.
As the defendant refused lawful commands to stop the vehicle and fled from law enforcement officers at a high rate of speed, he is being charged with Fleeing to Elude at High Speeds. As he attempted to run over two law enforcement officers in the lawful performance of their duties, he is being charged with two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. As he refused to allow the passenger out of his vehicle and held her against
her will during the course of the pursuit, he is being charged with kidnapping and battery. As he refused to obey lawful commands to exit the vehicle at the termination of the pursuit, he is being charged with resisting without violence.
