FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Chapman
Phone: (904) 255-3004
Cell: (904) 524-6626
ChapmanD@coj.net
January 3, 2024
JURY FINDS CASON GUILTY OF ATTEMPTING TO ELUDE LAW ENFORCEMENT
State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Ron Cason guilty of Aggravated Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Law Enforcement Officer. With the verdict, Cason faces up to 30 years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable London Kite will sentence Cason at a future hearing.
On June 16, 2023, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office attempted to serve an arrest warrant on Cason in the San Marco area where Cason was known to frequent. When they arrived, Cason was sitting in his vehicle. Officers recognized the vehicle as the same one that Cason used to flee from them a week prior on Southside Boulevard. As one of the officers attempted to contact Cason, Cason drove away from the scene. The officer followed Cason’s vehicle with the intention of stopping him at a safe location. Cason, however, proceeded to drive in a strange manner and then drove through a stop sign at the intersection of Minerva and Landon Avenues. At that point, the officer activated his blue lights and siren to effectuate a traffic stop, which Cason blatantly ignored. Cason proceeded to drive at an excessive speed driving through another stop sign at the intersection of Minerva Avenue and Atlantic Blvd. Cason drove over 80 mph and then switched into the wrong lane driving into oncoming traffic. He then drove through a red light and switched back into the correct lane of travel. Following protocol, the officer stopped the pursuit out of caution for the public’s safety. A “be on the lookout” or BOLO was put out for the suspect and his vehicle. On June 30, 2023, officers received intelligence that Cason was located inside an apartment on Justina Road. At that time, Cason had three active arrest warrants. After an extensive search, officers found Cason hiding from law enforcement inside an apartment and took him into custody.
The case was investigated by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Joe Licandro and Katherina Brown.