News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 12

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FLORIDA B4 Local State THE NEWS-PRESS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2008 PUNTA GORDA COUNTY COMMISSION Man hospitalized after police chase, fight At-large elections to continue in Lee Talk back Want to share your views on this story? You'll find it on our Web site, where you can log in, speak out and be heard. Officials say he was out past probation curfew BY JACOB OGLES A Punta Gorda man was sent to the hospital after a chase ended in a fistfight with a police officer, reports show. Norvell Johnson, 35, remains at Charlotte Regional Medical Center, family members said. Johnson was placed under arrest by Punta Gorda police on charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence and loiter- son to Charlotte Regional, police said. Now, Johnson's family wants to know how the struggle escalated so rapidly.

"They beat him up real bad," Lewis said. "It's a fishy story." Bettencourt sajd administrators have reviewed the incident to see if policies were followed. "In this case, the level of force applied was well within our guidelines," Bettencourt said. When Johnson punched an officer, Bettencourt said, that justified resorting to force. Still, Lewis wants to know why police were chasing Lewis in the first place.

"He was in his own yard," Lewis said. reports show Johnson has been on probation since after a conviction for cocaine possessioa Police said Johnson on Monday was out after his 8 p.m. curfew. In 2007, he was arrested for violating probation curfew, records show. to lead up to it." Police they were on patrol on Ida Street around 10:45 p.m.

when Johnson left a group gathered in the street to hide in bushes. Officer Harvey Ayers went to see why Johnson was hiding, he wrote in a report. Johnson then fled toward Helen Street, and then onto his own lawn on Showalker Avenue. Ayers caught up with him and tackled him, reports show. Johnson fell on his side and punched Ayers in the jaw, according to reports.

The officer then pinned the suspect, wrestling him down to the ground several times as the suspect got up and resisted, before using a spray on Johnson's face to disable him, police said. Punta Gorda police spokesman Troy Bettencourt said after Johnson was caught, he told police he had diabetes, and shortly after passed out. Paramedics transported John Johnson has a history of trouble with police, and served a stint in state prison after a conviction for a 1991 armed robbery. He was arrested for cocaine possession in 2007 and cocaine sale in 2006, according to Charlotte County Jail records. Family has had limited contact with Johnson, Lewis said, but believe police were after him because of vendettas from past arrests.

In 2004, he was arrested and accused of battery with a deadly weapon, but the state dropped those charges, according to the Charlotte County Clerk of Courts' Office, and in 2002, he was arrested on a charge of attempted first-degree murder but the state did not pursue the charge for lack of evidence. Punta Gorda police said officers were justified in using force to subdue Johnson after the chase on foot Monday. But family has contacted attorneys. "I am still trying to find out what led to the fight," said Johnson's brother-in-law, Christopher Lewis. "You don't just show up and jump "on a police officer.

Something had IN OTHER BUSINESS The Charter Review Committee recommended and the commission approved giving voters the opportunity to decide whether to make the Election Supervisor nonpartisan. It would not take effect until the 2012 election. The issue, and another that would give the Charter Review Committee more authority, will be on the ballot in If the charter amendment passes, the committee would meet every eight years instead of four, but with 12 votes be able to put issues right to the ballot. The Commission will allow Alltel Communications to study putting up a cell tower in Phillips Park on Pine Island. In a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Ray Judah dissenting, Alltel will have the chance to study the park for a monopole tower.

In a separate vote, commissioners unanimously approved putting up a replacement tower at Boca Grande baseball field. Lee County commissioners and local mayors agreed to spend six months working on an annexation agreement Commissioners want the ability to have final say on land use changes to property annexed by surrounding cities. Under the agreement, commissioners and mayors said no new annexations can take place for the next six months. That will not include annexations filed or small properties that do not have major environmental impacts. Commissioners said they want to prevent situations where they have spent years preventing certain density or activities on properties in unincorporated Lee County, only to have those properties annexed and the land use designations changed.

Commissioner Brian Bigelow dissented saying he wanted the issue on the November "You don't just show up and jump on a police officer. Something had to lead up to it" Christopher Lewis, brother-in-law of Norvell Johnson BY RYAN LENGERICH Voters will not decide whether each commissioner should be elected only by their district's residents, but the discussion Tuesday that led to the 3-2 vote drew passionate political debate. Commissioner Frank Mann proposed putting on the November ballot a change to Lee County government. Commissioners would not be elected at large, and instead chosen by voters in the district where they reside. Commissioners Bob Janes, Tammy Hall and Ray Judah did not support the motion despite Brian Bigelow and.

Mann's emotional pleas. Mann said it shouldn't matter how the commissioners feel about single-member districts, the highly sensitive issue deserves to be on the ballot "It is not our government it is the people's government," he said. Tammy Hall said she is neither for nor against the change but wants more information. The Charter Review Committee, a 15-person advisory group which meets every four years to recommend changes to county government, made two formal recommendations Tuesday. Neither was moving to single-member districts by 2010.

But commissioners used their right to discuss and vote on anything the committee studied during its yearlong process. The committee talked more about single-member districts than any topic. Janes said there is no evidence single-member districts provide better government services than at-large districts. "We should be focusing on the causes. Housing, access to healthcare access to education," he said.

"All it is is a big argument and it solves nothing." Committee member Matthew Caldwell said he supported seeing the idea on the ballot because support was strong during public hearings. Willie Green, president of the Lee County chapter of the NAACP, said he would contact his national TALLAHASSEE Kreegel investigation panel postpones deadline for the District 72 seat, which includes part of Lehigh Acres and northeast Lee County. The complaint against Kreegel was filed by Lehigh resident Robert Anderson, who supports Richter's campaign. Former aide Barry Millman told investigators that Kreegel told him to call the opponent's employer and raise questions about his academic credentials, according to a House report According to the House report, Millman contacted Richter's supervisor at Hodges University and questioned a master's degree that Richter obtained from an online uni a written statement Tuesday, that the panel members haven't been able to coordinate their schedules. The panel has the power to subpoena witnesses and documents and to conduct hearings, but its focus is on the potential election-law violation.

It will report its findings to Rubio, who will then decide whether to name a select committee that would hold the House version of a trial. Possible sanctions could range from public reprimand to expulsion. The News-Press staff writer Don Ruane contributed to this report versity. The investigation also found that Millman twice lied to Anderson about the existence of e-mails he sent to Hodges. Kreegel declined to comment on the delay.

He has previously declined to comment until the probable-cause panel completes its work. Richter could not be reached for comment Tuesday. "I don't think it's fair to the people," Anderson said. "Why can't they live by their deadlines?" Rubio originally gave the panel a June 30 deadline to come up with a formal determination. But Rubio spokeswoman Jill Chamberlin said, in BY JIM ASH The News-Press Capital Bureau House Speaker Marco Rubio announced Tuesday that he is extending a deadline for a probable cause panel investigating an election-related complaint against state Rep.

Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda. Last month, Rubio appointed five House members to investigate allegations that Kreegel's former legislative aide was working on state time and using a state computer when he attempted to smear a Kreegel opponent in the Republican primary. Lehigh Acres resident Keith Richter is challenging Kreegel office to inquire about pursuing a federal injunction for preventing residents from having a Advocates argue single-member districts give minorities better chances at election. Bigelow's district includes Fort Myers and has the largest minority population. Despite losing the vote, he said the debate put each commissioner on record.

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