The morning of June 1 must have been heart pounding for Bristol Township Officer Thomas Polistina. An attempted vehicle stop lead to a vehicle and then foot chase in Levittown.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
According to court papers, Polistina pulled behind an Audi at the intersection of Green Lane and Emilie Road around 2:50 a.m. just hours into the new month. The driver of the vehicle appeared unconscious and slumped over.
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All of the sudden, according to court papers, the driver – later identified as Leslie Sobotka, 23, of Levittown – lifted his head and sped off down Emilie Road. The vehicle reportedly accelerated quickly, was on and off the roadway and just missed hitting a utility pole.
No sooner than Polistina activate his patrol unit’s overhead lights and siren, the Audi made a sloppy turn onto Goldenridge Drive and pulled over, court papers said. Polistina wrote in the affidavit that the Audi’s tires screeched and the car quickly pulled off again before skidding into a driveway on Goldenridge Drive.
Sobotka exited the vehicle, was commanded to get inside the car and then ran off on foot, falling over once, police said. The 23 year old is alleged to have knocked over trash cans to try to block the officer.
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Polistina was able to catch Sobotka after the man hopped a fence and was tackled, court papers say.
Sobotka’s wild streak did not end with him getting tackled, according to police.
The 23 year old tired to resist arrested by punching and clawing at the officer, police said, adding a Taser was eventually used to bring Sobotka under control.
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Polistina wrote that it was “obvious” Sobotka was intoxicated. The officer also noted Polistina had trouble talking and reeked of alcohol.
Sobotka reportedly refused to submit to blood test.
The officer suffered scratches and a bruised chin in the incident.
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Sobotka was charged this week with DUI, resisting arrest and reckless endangerment. He is set to have a preliminary hearing on the charges next month.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
