ROAD RAGER PICKED ON WRONG CAR: PBSO DEPUTY
Repo man reportedly flashed badge before fleeing unmarked car.
JUPITER FARMS — A Jupiter Farms man appears to have engaged last month in a fit of alleged road rage with the wrong motorist — a Palm Beach County sheriff ’s deputy driving an unmarked patrol car, an arrest report said.
When the deputy activated his emergency lights, Jeffrey David Fifield allegedly fled south on Florida’s Turnpike at speeds that reached 115 mph.
Fifield, 40, is facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and fleeing and eluding police with disregard of safety. He was arrested Tuesday and was being held in the Palm Beach County Jail Thursday in lieu of $40,000 bail.
The incident took place Dec. 12 at about 7:30 a.m. The deputy was on Indiantown Road turning right into the entrance of the turnpike when Fifield, driving an Infiniti sedan, made a left turn from eastbound Indiantown Road and cut off the unmarked sheriff ’s vehicle, the report said. When the deputy honked his horn, Fifield allegedly stopped his vehicle, blocking traffic into the toll booth.
The deputy drove around the Infiniti and Fifield “swerved toward me in what appeared to be an attempt to ram my vehicle or force my vehicle into oncoming traffic ... ” the report said.
Once the two vehicles entered the turnpike, Fifield accelerated to catch up with the deputy’s vehicle and began yelling and cursing out his window, the report said.
A short time later, Fifield again pulled up to the dep- uty’s vehicle, “screaming at me in rage,” the report said. Fifield allegedly displayed a gold shield badge attached to a silver chain around his neck and yelled, “I’m a cop. If anyone knows the law, it’s me.”
“Where do you work?” the deputy asked through his window.
“(Expletive) you (exple- tive),” Fifield allegedly responded. “I’ll knock all of your teeth out.”
On reaching Okeechobee Boulevard, the Infiniti al- legedly slowed beside a trac- tor-trailer in order not to allow any traffic to pass, the report said. Because Fifield was allegedly causing a traffic hazard, the deputy activated his emergency lights and tried to pull the Infiniti over.
Fifield then fled at speeds the deputy estimated ran up to 110 to 115 mph. The deputy stopped chasing Fifield’s car, the report said, but learned Fifield’s identity after running the Infiniti’s license plate.
A search revealed that Fifield is not a law enforcement officer but works as a repossession agent and is licensed by the state.