2nd Arrest For Former New Port Richey Cop

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — A former New Port Richey Police officer who resigned last year after being arrested for allegedly fleeing and eluding Hernando County deputies was arrested for the second time on the same charge Tuesday morning. This time around it was an officer from his former agency who made the arrest.

According to the New Port Richey Police Department, Officer Joseph Valente was patrolling U.S. 19 near Shamrock Drive just after midnight Jan. 10 A red motorcycle reportedly passed Valente heading north on U.S. 19 “at a high rate of speed,” the agency wrote in an email to media.

When the rider of the motorcycle spotted Valente, police say he “accelerated faster.”

Valente made a U-turn and tried to catch up with the bike for a traffic stop, the email said. Valente was able to catch up in the area of Marine Parkway. The rider, the email said, looked back at Valente, but “turned east on Marine Parkway and sped off.”

Valente finally caught up with the motorcycle again on Grand Boulevard. There, the agency said, the motorcycle’s rider stopped and was detained.

The rider was identified at that time as former Officer Francis Downey, 27, the agency’s email said.

“Downey appeared to have been drinking due to an odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath, but did not appear impaired,” the email said. “Downey was arrested for fleeing to elude and his motorcycle (was) impounded.”

No further information is available at this time.

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