- April 26, 2024
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By: Brittany Kershaw
Public Affairs Manager, Flagler County Sheriff's Office
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office attempted a traffic stop on a white pickup truck traveling 80 mph in a 60 mph zone on State Road 100 in Bunnell on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 5. The vehicle fled from deputies and was eventually stop-sticked at the intersection of Belle Terre Parkway and State Road 100. Once the vehicle came to rest, the suspect, later identified as 24-year-old Brian Cucco, exited the car and fled into the wooded area.
“If this guy was trying to see how many charges he could stack, he did a good job."
— RICK STALY, Flagler County sheriff
Volusia County’s Air One helicopter responded to assist deputies, along with an FCSO K-9 Unit. During the apprehension of Cucco in the woods, an FCSO deputy was bitten by the FCSO K-9 on scene. The deputy was transported to the hospital for treatment of the injury and is expected to make a full recovery. Cucco was ultimately located in the wooded area behind 3 Zaun Trail and taken into custody.
“If this guy was trying to see how many charges he could stack, he did a good job,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Our deputies did a great job in tracking this suspect and taking him into custody. Unfortunately, one of our own deputies was injured during the apprehension. This highlights another danger to law enforcement when criminals try to run and hide from us. We wish Deputy West a speedy recovery.”
Cucco refused to speak with deputies on scene but did utter that he didn’t pull over due to having a “gun clip” inside the vehicle. Cucco is a convicted felon.
An inventory search of Cucco’s vehicle found a gray metal grinder with a green leafy residue suspected to be cannabis, multiple zip-lock baggies marked with a green dollar sign, a black digital scale with white powdered residue, a blue cell phone, a wallet containing Cucco’s Florida Driver’s License, credit and debit cards, a loaded .40 Caliber semi-automatic pistol, two Springfield Armory magazines with sixteen bullets each, a white bottle containing one Schedule II controlled substance and 48 Schedule IV controlled substances, and a sandwich baggie containing less than 20 grams of cannabis.
Cucco was arrested and charged with three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, fleeing/eluding law enforcement at a high speed, possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, reckless driving, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on a $26,500 bond.
Cucco has an extensive criminal record as a juvenile and was arrested in Flagler County as an adult in 2018 for domestic battery.
View AXON body camera video of the successful stop stick deployment here.
