Two Gainesville residents were arrested Monday after a citizen’s report of a suspicious vehicle led to an hour-long standoff with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office that required SWAT intervention and K-9 units to bring to a conclusion.
The Flagler County Communications Center received a call about a U-Haul truck parked on the sidewalk under the Hammock Dunes Bridge near North Ocean Shore Boulevard and Camino Del Mar Parkway in Flagler Beach. The caller reported that an individual was standing in front of the U-Haul and acting suspiciously.
When an FCSO deputy arrived and approached the vehicle, he overheard a female voice yelling about money. After the deputy announced his presence, the driver closed the driver-side door, shifted the vehicle out of park, and drove forward. The driver stopped but did not put the vehicle in park. When the deputy moved toward the driver’s side to speak with the driver, the driver made eye contact and drove off.
The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop near North Ocean Shore Boulevard and Island Estates Parkway, but the driver fled south on A1A. The Flagler Beach Police Department deployed stop sticks, successfully disabling the vehicle.
The driver, later identified as May Ling Ip, 48, of Gainesville, and her passenger, Jamie Allen Mays, 40, of Gainesville, refused to exit the vehicle for over an hour. Deputies with the FCSO Drone Unit used a drone to maintain visual contact with both suspects throughout the standoff.
The FCSO BearCat armored vehicle responded and parked in front of the U-Haul to prevent it from moving. The SWAT Team deployed distraction devices to encourage the suspects to exit. When they refused, deputies used less-lethal devices to break the side mirrors and a Shatterball, which is a thrown spiked ball device, to break the driver’s-side window. The SWAT Team then deployed aerosol spray through the broken window.
Ip then exited the truck and ran toward the beach. K-9 Guapo and his handler, Corporal Andrew Cangialosi, quickly apprehended Ip, who continued to resist and attempted to drag the K-9 toward the beach. Ip also attempted to bite an FCSO sergeant during her arrest.
Mays refused to exit the truck, so K-9 Mako was deployed into the vehicle. Mays then quickly exited and surrendered.
Ip was arrested for fleeing and eluding with lights and sirens activated, resisting arrest without violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, attempted aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana under 20 grams. She was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility where she awaits bond.
Mays was arrested for resisting arrest without violence. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility where he is awaiting bond.
“These two suspects refused to obey lawful commands to exit the vehicle for over an hour, disrupting traffic and forcing us to use a significant number of resources,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Ip quickly learned that our K-9s will take a bite out of crime. Mays finally made a good decision by surrendering when the K-9 was about to bite him.”
Sheriff Staly also praised deputies for their handling of the incident. “I’m also very proud of our deputies for calmly handling this incident and bringing it to a successful conclusion without any serious injuries. I also thank the caller who ‘saw something and said something’ as the caller was clearly right and knew something was wrong.”
Both suspects have prior criminal histories. Ip’s record includes drug possession, obstruction, trespassing, and failure to appear. Mays is a registered sex offender for lewd and lascivious battery on a victim ages 12-15 and has a history of drug possession and battery.
The post Two Gainesville Residents Arrested After Hour-Long Standoff Under Hammock Dunes Bridge Ends with K-9 Deployment first appeared on Flagler County Buzz.
