Deputies arrest man who wasn't being pursued, but fled anyway

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Deputies in Hillsborough County made a somewhat random arrest while searching for an unrelated subject.

“We've got a deputy who reports he's sitting in a business parking lot, should be empty, and a Jeep starts slow-rolling by,” said HCSO Spokesperson Danny Alvarez, recapping the story.    

Thinking it seemed suspicious, the deputy wanted to question the driver - who turned out to be Arthur Perkins.

But when the deputy approached, they say Perkins took off running. 

While trying to find him, deputies came across Michael Harris, who matched Perkin’s description.

Harris also took off into the swamp in Clairmel. It took deputies two hours, trudging through the mud, to find him.        

“Harris, in his escape, had ingested a whole bunch of meth in an effort to not have that on him, while there he was becoming hypothermic hiding in the water,” said Alvarez.

Turns out Harris had warrants for his arrest for parole violations. 

As for Perkins, he's still out there but charges on him are pending.

“I guess the main lesson here is: Don't run from the police,” Alvarez said.