Gainesville man arrested after trying to get cat from his home in evacuation zone
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jeffrey David Emminger, 52, was arrested yesterday after allegedly driving away at over 80 mph after a police officer told him he would be arrested if he tried to drive around officers to get to his home, where he wanted to recover his cat.
At about 6:19 p.m. on April 19, Emminger reportedly tried to enter a road that had been blocked by law enforcement officers as part of the response to the State Road 121 fire. Emminger reportedly told an officer that he was going to drive around him, go to his home, and recover his pet cat; the officer reported that he gave Emminger a final warning and told him that if he drove around him, he would be arrested. Emminger reportedly told the officer that he would have to arrest him after he got his cat.
The officer reported that Emminger accelerated past several officers and marked patrol vehicles; an officer attempted a traffic stop, but Emminger allegedly drove past more marked patrol vehicles at over 80 mph. He also allegedly drove around fire trucks and drove over water hoses that were being used by firefighters.
Emminger reportedly drove to his home, where he was taken into custody.
Post Miranda, Emminger reportedly said he ignored instructions from law enforcement because he wanted to rescue his cat; he admitted that what he did was unsafe.
Emminger has been charged with fleeing from law enforcement with lights and sirens active (a felony), resisting an officer without violence, and failing to obey a police or fire department official. He has no criminal history, and Judge Joy Danne ordered him released on his own recognizance.
At today’s press conference, Gainesville Fire Rescue Chief Shawn Hillhouse said, “We had a lot of concern about people that were worried about trying to get back into an area that we evacuated to get their pets. GFR is not going to be abandoning that area without doing that, so that’s not something that people potentially have to worry about.”
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Over a cat…I’m kinda prejudice because I am allergic to them. My dogs now, I’d be riding right there with him!
Sir, what you did was unlawful, and dangerous, and wrong…. But I completely understand.
Fire/LEO is here to protect life and property. And when they prioritize property that isn’t yours, you should have the right to risk your own life to protect your own property — even if that is a cat. Crossing a fire hose is wrong, but this also looks like the officer did a poor job of de-escalating. The officer should have let him go with instructions to not cross the fire hoses. Bad decisions all around.
And now they have his DNA sample to sell online. Congratulations, your purrturnal instincts got your DNA stolen cause that’s the law now in florida when charged with a felony. Not convicted, just charged. Thats why lots of cops falsely arrest and charge people with bogus felony charges niw a days, so they can legally steal your DNA and try to match it to cold cases etcetera
I’d do the same for my cat or pet but on foot through the woods if necessary
I love my pets same as family. This was handled poorly by the LEO. Would he be permitted if it was a disabled dependent?
His cat or a stash?
The problem wasn’t that he wanted to go back to his house; it was he forced his way on a closed road that the firemen were using to save his home. Running over charged fire hose is dangerous to you as well as the firemen. Sounds like that there might have been too many cops there, though. BTW, was the cat saved?
The very first “released on his own recognizance” by an Alachua County Judge that actually has merit.
I remember when we were prohibited from going to the beach for Covid 19…what was the threat there?
I have no problem with the guy risking his life to save his best friend.
The guy made it to his house. No one was hurt… law enforcement should have accompanied him in this case…
No one lost their life. No one was injured…the fire hose was ok…
Sometimes cops can be assholes…
We all know it…
I would do anything to save my dog…
What does dog spell backwards?
No one was injured. He should not have been arrested..
There is no reason this situation should have gotten that far. Officers know that these people are on the line to lose EVERYTHING. And naturally people are going to be panicked and scared. It doesn’t seem like these Officers did anything to de-escalate or reassure owners that their pets were going to be safe. If those were my dogs and my cat, I would find away to get to them.
The first question from the defense attorney in the jury selection: “are you now, or have you ever been, a cat owner?”
Hard head makes a soft behind
How many other natural disaster articles have comments absolutely condemning pet owners for not doing enough to save their pets? Now they’re condemning for doing too much? Which is it? Do anything to save their pets or not?
For many people, that pet IS their family.
Shame on those that escalated without tact nor compassion, especially if he was likely to lose his whole world.
JeffK…sit down.
If I were a cat I’d want this guy on my staff.