Cantonment Man Acquitted On Murder Charge Gets Prison For Attempt To Get Away

June 3, 2019

A Cantonment man that fled from deputies as they tried to arrest him for first degree murder has pleaded guilty to a long list of charges related to his attempt to get away.

Deon Keith Harris, Jr., was acquitted in April for a January 2017 homicide behind Vannoy’s Tires on Nine Mile Road. But it was his actions when deputies attempted to arrest him that are sending him to prison.
Harries was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by 10 years probation for charges including two counts of aggravated fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer causing a crash involving injury, trafficking in methamphetamine (14 grams or more but less than 28 grams), possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of hydrocodone, possession of alprazolam, possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting an officer without violence and driving while license suspended.

Harris pleaded no contest to all of charges straight up to the court without the benefit of any sentence negotiations. The case was scheduled for jury trial this week.

As the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office attempted to serve the murder warrant on Harris on June 26, 2018, he fled in his vehicle at a high rate of speed. He attempted to cross Airport Boulevard from I-10 by running a red light. He crashed into a Honda CRV, causing non-life threatening injuries to two people.

Harries then attempted to run from his disabled vehicle but was apprehended by law enforcement. A search of his vehicle revealed a large amount of narcotics including a trafficking amount of methamphetamine. His driver’s license was also suspended.

Pictured below: Deon Keith Harris, Jr., was acquitted of charges related to a homide behind Vannoy’s Tires on Nine Mile Road. NorthEscambia.com file photos.

Comments

5 Responses to “Cantonment Man Acquitted On Murder Charge Gets Prison For Attempt To Get Away”

  1. Willis on June 3rd, 2019 9:52 pm

    So apparently the glove did not fit although the shoes did….

  2. Johnny Q. Citizen on June 3rd, 2019 1:38 pm

    Jerry,

    It’s two (2) completely different and separate incidents. Law enforcement applied for a warrant for murder regarding an incident from a previous time. Numbnuts decides to flee and put the community at risk thus getting into an accident, then tried to flee on foot. The judicial system worked perfectly since he was aquitted on the murder charge but not driving like a dumb dumb. Had he pulled over like you are supposed to do by law, he would be 100% free. I call it karma!

  3. JT on June 3rd, 2019 12:47 pm

    He hurt people while fleeing the police with a load of dope in the car. I’m pretty sure he earned those charges and that sentence.

  4. John on June 3rd, 2019 12:33 pm

    He broke the law, if he would have not ran from the police then half of the so called stacked charges would not apply. And having all types of drugs didn’t help.

  5. Jerry on June 3rd, 2019 11:27 am

    This type of story always gets under my skin. He was charged with 1st degree murder, but was acquitted, but now goes to prison because of a long list of what I consider “stacked” charges. Although this guy might be a really bad guy, the “stacked” charges had nothing to do with the original reason law enforcement thought he had committed a crime. Cops and prosecutors add charges, not for justice of a specific crime, but in an attempt to get a win for any charge they can come up with. As a military defense lawyer told me many years ago, if the prosecution can get a guilty verdict on one of the tacked on minor offenses, it is still a win for them.

    We talk about prison overcrowding, but how many inmates are sitting in prison that were not convicted of the major incident charge, but for a minor “stacked” charge.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News