Clearwater Police are investigating an incident involving a man driving his car on Clearwater Beach and broadcasting much of the drive over social media.

  • Ryan Michael Stiles, 27, arrested after chase
  • Police warned around 4:26 p.m. about social media broadcast
  • Police believed Stiles wanted to "take out" police cruiser or building

Clearwater Police Deputy Chief Donald Hall said around 4:26 p.m. the agency started receiving calls about a Facebook Live broadcast from a driver on the beach who possibly wanted to take out a police cruiser or police building. The calls reportedly came from as far away as California.

Hall said the department secured their front doors, put extra officers in place near the building and evacuated civilians as a precaution.

Officers reportedly attempted several times to stop Stiles after tracking him to downtown Clearwater, but he refused to follow commands. Officers kept following him in order to neutralize what they regarded as a public threat.

Witnesses described the incident as "unreal."

"We had just gotten done playing volleyball and he came awful close to the volleyball courts," said witness Jeff Vance. "Some people were crossing the beach, he came close to hitting the people on the beach. Of course, he got off and got out of sight, but you heard the sirens for the next 10-15 minutes."

Stiles's evasive driving in order to avoid beach traffic took him onto the beach itself and eventually to Caladesi Island, where officers eventually took him into custody. Once he stopped his car, Stiles did not fight the officers.

Hall said all indications were that Stiles had been drinking.

No one was hurt in the incident.

Stiles's profanity-laced Facebook Live broadcast lasted over four minutes. The video shows the driver at various points drinking from a plastic bottle of what was presumably alcohol and a beer can.

Stiles's previous criminal history is being investigated.