Orlando man found face down in Intracoastal after police pursuit through West Palm Beach, Palm Beach
Michele Dargan
An investigation continues into the death of an Orlando man with a long arrest record who led police on a high-speed car chase through West Palm Beach and Palm Beach early Monday, before he fled on foot and was found floating in the Intracoastal Waterway.
The cause of death was not released Tuesday.
West Palm Beach Police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Marcus Glenn Massey because of a "suspicious vehicle" in an area with recent burglaries, West Palm Beach spokesman Chase Scott said in statement.
Massey, 30, "drove towards officers turning the incident into aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer — a violent felony — which is another reason we engaged in pursuit," Chase said.
Massey fled from officers at a high rate of speed heading into Palm Beach back into West Palm Beach and the into Palm Beach again.
Massey has a lengthy arrest record dating back to 1995 for a variety of offenses, including possession of marijuana, aggravated assault, resisting arrest without violence, possession of cocaine, driving under the influence and burglary, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records. His most recent arrest was in January for possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with evidence.
According to a written statement, police noticed a suspicious vehicle in the Northwood neighborhood of West Palm Beach at about 1 a.m. That's when Massey fled in his vehicle at a high rate of speed, police said.
During the pursuit, Massey's car nearly struck two police vehicles, fled into Palm Beach across the Royal Park Bridge and then back into West Palm Beach.
The pursuit continued north on North Flagler Drive to 10th Street, then south on North Olive Avenue to Quadrille Boulevard. The driver then headed east across the Flagler Memorial Bridge and into Palm Beach again. At North County Road, the vehicle continued north until it stopped in an alley west of the intersection of North Lake Way and Onondaga Drive.
After Massey left his vehicle, West Palm Beach "officers momentarily lost sight of the driver," West Palm Beach police said in a statement.
West Palm Beach Police officers found Massey floating face down in the Intracoastal Waterway. Police officers pulled Massey out of the water and performed CPR. Palm Beach Fire Rescue arrived and pronounced Massey dead.