Trooper Joseph Angelicchi

On July 23, 2019, Trooper Joseph Angelicchi responded to a call involving a possible impaired driver in Hillsborough County who had already been involved in a rear end collision with a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Detective. The suspect fled the scene of the crash, stopped the vehicle, and fled on foot. The suspect subsequently jumped into the Hillsborough River to evade capture.

Upon observing the suspect struggling to tread water, Trooper Angelicchi entered the water without a flotation device and started swimming towards the subject. The subject continued his attempts to evade Trooper Angelicchi and became exhausted by his efforts, often submerging and not being able to hold his head above water. Trooper Angelicchi with the help of a Hillsborough County Deputy who had obtained a flotation device were able to get the suspect to shallow water. The suspect was extremely impaired and was taken to Tampa General Hospital for exhaustion. Trooper Angelicchi made a conscious decision to engage in an action that placed his own safety in peril to assist and capture the suspect.