Off-duty officer chases down driver who struck his BMW, Palm Bay police say

Palm Bay police are looking into what one witness calls a high-speed chase through a residential neighborhood by an off-duty officer. Police want to know if policy was violated in a chase that ended with guns drawn and neighborhood children cowering in terror.Indialantic mother Darya Medvedyeva said her kids were riding their bikes Sunday when two vehicles, one chasing another, blew by on narrow, residential Avenida De La Vista."The pickup truck just passed by us at what seemed to be double the speed rate here, literally just missing the kids by an inch," Medvedyeva said.A few miles up the street, a pickup being driven by Brian Gaddy, 39, had hit a BMW driven by an off-duty Palm Bay Police officer, according to authorities.The off-duty officer called 911. "I have a signal three I'm chasing right now. I'm an off-duty officer," the off-duty deputy said to an emergency operator. "I am chasing the suspect, eastbound Riviera now. I'm not stopping until I get his tag.""I would have thought that, being a policeman, he would exercise caution, and regardless of a suspect's speed that he would slow down," Medvedyeva said.When Gaddy got to a dead end, the off-duty officer cop drew his gun and boxed him in, authorities said.Fearing bullets would fly, Medvedyeva and the kids cowered in a bedroom. The police department's written policy said vehicle pursuits will be initiated and continued only when necessary to apprehend suspects who pose an imminent and serious danger to the public.Gaddy was arrested for drunk driving and misdemeanor hit and run. A spokesman said there were no known policy violations by the off-duty officer, but the police chief is looking into it.An investigator interviewed Medvedyeva on the incident Friday morning.

Palm Bay police are looking into what one witness calls a high-speed chase through a residential neighborhood by an off-duty officer.

Police want to know if policy was violated in a chase that ended with guns drawn and neighborhood children cowering in terror.


Indialantic mother Darya Medvedyeva said her kids were riding their bikes Sunday when two vehicles, one chasing another, blew by on narrow, residential Avenida De La Vista.

"The pickup truck just passed by us at what seemed to be double the speed rate here, literally just missing the kids by an inch," Medvedyeva said.

A few miles up the street, a pickup being driven by Brian Gaddy, 39, had hit a BMW driven by an off-duty Palm Bay Police officer, according to authorities.

The off-duty officer called 911.

"I have a signal three I'm chasing right now. I'm an off-duty officer," the off-duty deputy said to an emergency operator. "I am chasing the suspect, eastbound Riviera now. I'm not stopping until I get his tag."

"I would have thought that, being a policeman, he would exercise caution, and regardless of a suspect's speed that he would slow down," Medvedyeva said.

When Gaddy got to a dead end, the off-duty officer cop drew his gun and boxed him in, authorities said.

Fearing bullets would fly, Medvedyeva and the kids cowered in a bedroom.

The police department's written policy said vehicle pursuits will be initiated and continued only when necessary to apprehend suspects who pose an imminent and serious danger to the public.

Gaddy was arrested for drunk driving and misdemeanor hit and run.

A spokesman said there were no known policy violations by the off-duty officer, but the police chief is looking into it.

An investigator interviewed Medvedyeva on the incident Friday morning.