TAMPA, Fla. — An administrative review from the Tampa Police Department said TPD will change its communication policies with FHP as a result of the deadly crash in Ybor City.
On Nov. 8, around 12:40 a.m. Tampa police said Silas Sampson was driving recklessly on I-275 along with a second vehicle suspected of racing. The TPD review said he then exited the interstate, and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper attempted a traffic stop. TPD said when the vehicle did not stop, FHP initiated a pursuit.
WATCH: Tampa police update communication policy following deadly Ybor crash
The memo said the TPD unit near the incident did not activate emergency equipment or attempt to stop Sampson.
Sampson lost control and crashed into Bradley’s on 7th Avenue, hitting more than a dozen people who were outside. Four people died.
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Our I-Team obtained the unedited video, which shows what Tampa police saw from their chopper. After an FHP trooper following the driver slowed and stopped chasing around the arch heading into Ybor City on 7th Ave., someone from Tampa PD is heard in the video saying, "FHP, we’ll keep him in sight if you want to back off since he’s on 7th Avenue.” Right then, the driver slammed into Bradley's on 7th.
Watch here:
Changes to policy
TPD said in the memo that it reviewed all cases involving FHP and fleeing to elude incidents within the city since 2024. The review found that TPD officers never requested FHP to pursue vehicles in any of those incidents.
TPD said it will make communication with FHP more transparent, has collected all eight portable radios from FHP, and will coordinate all communication with FHP on the main radio frequencies. The new policy prohibits any two-way communication between FHP and TPD to engage in pursuits, including cell phones.
Administrative review Tampa Police by Tampa Bay 28
The I-Team asked Dr. Roy Taylor, a chief of police who has worked for more than three decades in law enforcement and is an expert witness, to review the full video and policy changes by Tampa PD.
"They did not tell the FHP to pursue the car, but they directed them to where the car was at with the intention to stop. I mean, again, they don't have a crystal ball. They don't know what the driver's going to do once the police intercept them, but in this situation, it was in a bad location because it was coming up on the crowded downtown," Taylor said.
Taylor told the I-Team there wasn't enough time for the driver to realize the trooper was no longer chasing him.
Speaking to TPD, who alerted law enforcement in the area to street racing on the highway, Taylor said, "Is it worth risking all these lives and injuring people for an 11-second little spontaneous car race down the interstate? And the answer would be no.”
City of Tampa officials hosted a listening session in February. They discussed several potential safety measures, including adding bollards, increasing on-street parking to reduce the roadway width, and reducing the speed limit on 7th Avenue.
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