Fellow motorcyclists speak against arrested biker's video

SARASOTA (FOX 13) - Motorcyclists around the Bay Area are not happy after a man was arrested for fleeing deputies on his bike. But they're not upset he was arrested. They're upset because the suspect adds to the reputation of motorcyclists behaving badly on the road.

Deputies released video they said was taken by a GoPro camera strapped to the helmet of Sergey Baygulov. He was arrested and charged with aggravated fleeing earlier this month. Sarasota deputies said he sped past a marked law enforcement vehicle before fleeing.

Video from a GoPro helmet camera shows him weaving in and out of lanes, cutting off cars in front of him. He even barely escapes a crash.

The sound they bike makes in the video is enough to tell anyone to get out of the way.

"It makes me furious," said Danny Roberts. "It makes me upset. The reason behind it is, I see it more often than most." 

The entire 30 mile ride from Roberts' North Port home to his job in Sarasota is captured on the video, where deputies said Baygulov reaches speeds of 110 miles an hour.

At Hap's Cycle Sales in Sarasota, owner Robert Poneleit said he's infuriated.

"It has become an everyday thing now. It's not, it just happens once in awhile. It happens a lot," he said.

Poneleit said guys like Baygulov give motorcyclists a bad reputation.

"We don't promote that here. The thing we promote is, hey, we have a track day on the twenty-third," he said.

Baygulov has been on the Sarasota County Sheriff's office radar for quite some time, after complaints came in from other drivers.

"That is the sheriff's office vehicle," Captain John Jernigan pointed out while watching the video.

Each time deputies tried to catch him, he sped off.

"He begins passing cars illegally on a very dangerous two lane road. He looks back three times to see if he can get away from the police car," said Capt. Jernigan.

Eventually, deputies outsmarted him with air power and a ground game. The sheriff's office helicopter followed him into work one day and deputies on the ground surprised him on the job.

"Oh my God," said Baygulov on the video.

Deputies arrived just as he took off his helmet.

"He may be classified as a skilled rider, but he also has to be aware of the other motorists out there that may not be aware of how to take his driving pattern, which has been described by complainants as taunting," said Capt. Jernigan.

Deputies hope by releasing Baygulov's footage, he and others will learn a lesson.

"It is basically some of the best evidence we have in the case against him," said Capt. Jernigan.

Baygulov is charged with aggravated fleeing to elude and several traffic violations.