Crime & Safety
Suspect Arrested After Lying Down on I-275
The man was feared hurt until deputies tried to approach him and discovered they had an altogether different situation on their hands.
A 33-year-old St. Petersburg man is jailed today on multiple charges that include obstructing a highway, after authorities spotted him lying on the side of Interstate 275 and 4th Street North, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Joseph Ricci Matthews had stopped his car in the northbound lane, gotten out and was lying on the shoulder of the road, when deputies saw him at 1 p.m. Tuesday, the newspaper reports.
Believing the suspect was hurt or ill, deputies summoned a paramedic and the responders approached Matthews to help him.
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But as they came closer, the suspect jumped to his feet, declined treatment and tried to walk into traffic until deputies stopped him.
Matthews then struggled with deputies and began screaming complaints about news TV networks and former President George Bush.
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Deputies managed to subdue Matthews, who was arrested and charged with obstructing a highway, battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence.
The Tampa Bay Times notes that a report stated that the arrest was "RNC related," though Ricci is not listed among the "RNC Bookings at Pinellas County Jail."
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