Man Attempts To 'Show Off' To First Date With High-Speed Police Chase

A 22-year-old man in Pinellas County, Florida, was arrested over the weekend after he forced officers to chase his motorcycle in order to impress a girl while they were on their first date, police said in documents.

Taylor Beverly, of Tampa, ran through a red light at Chestnut Street Saturday at around 9:50 p.m. while driving a white 2017 Suzuki motorcycle with a female passenger on board, The Smoking Gun reported, citing an arrest affidavit.

Beverly looked back and made eye contact with officers of the Clearwater Police Department as he ran through the traffic light.

The officers, in response, activated their emergency lights and sirens to initiate a traffic stop, but Beverly "accelerated to a high rate of speed and began to weave in and out of traffic [while] fleeing from our vehicle," according to the complaint.

Beverly ran through multiple red lights and drove "well over 100 [miles per hour]," police said.

The officers reportedly deactivated their lights and sirens and broke off the chase, but they informed other units of the direction where Beverly was headed and provided them descriptions of the driver and passenger.

Beverly was then spotted eastbound of Gulf to Bay Boulevard at the red light of South Belcher Road shortly before 10 p.m., where a different officer took him into custody without incident.

The motorcyclist admitted to the offense after being read his Miranda rights, but he claimed he did it because he "was trying to show off for his date," according to the document.

Beverly's female passenger, however, said she "was screaming at him to stop, but he refused," police said.

It had been their first date.

Beverly was charged with a felony for fleeing cops at high speed with wanton disregard for the safety of others, according to the report. He was then released from the county jail the next morning after posting a $10,000 bond.

Beverly was previously convicted for cocaine possession, probation violation, grand theft and passing a counterfeit check. Additionally, he was cited for reckless driving and driving an unregistered vehicle following a motorcycle crash in 2019.