A Florida police officer who allegedly led a deputy on a high-speed chase and then fled a traffic stop was formally charged this week in connection with the incident, according to officials.
Orlando Police Department Officer Alexander Shaouni was also relieved of his duties pending an investigation, the department said in a statement on Friday.
A deputy with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office was on patrol June 6 at around 12:15 p.m. when he noticed an individual in an Orlando Police Department vehicle driving 80 mph in a 45 mph zone, according to an arrest report. The car did not have its emergency lights or siren on, and didn't slow down as it passed by the deputy's location.
The deputy drove over 90 mph to catch up to Shaouni with his lights and sirens activated, but the officer did not pull over, according to the report.
It wasn’t until the deputy angled his car in front of Shaouni’s that he pulled over, according to the report. Video shows the deputy pulling up alongside Shaouni's car and asking if he was going to pull over.
The officer can then be heard on the video asking the deputy: “What? I am going into work, my man. Why are you trying to pull me over as I’m going into work?”
Shaouni was also asked for his driver's license, but said "no" before getting back in his car and driving away.
"Officer Shaouni has been relieved of duty pending the Seminole County Sheriff’s criminal investigation and OPD’s Internal Affairs investigation," the Orlando Police Department said in a statement shared with NBC News. "Any further information on the criminal investigation will have to be obtained from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office."
Shaouni was arrested June 9 on charges of fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement with lights and siren activated, resisting an officer without violence, reckless driving and driving at an unlawful speed.
His bond was set at $9,000, according to the arrest report.
An attorney for Shaouni did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
