Biker from Pennsylvania allegedly flips off cop on I-75
by Staff Report August 26, 2025
A biker from Pennsylvania landed in jail after he allegedly flipped off a member of law enforcement on Interstate 75 in Sumter County.
Dacota Lee Paul, 33, was riding a motorcycle traveling at 80 miles per hour in a 70 mph zone at about 12:30 p.m. Sunday near Mile Marker 314 on I-75, according to an arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol. The trooper activated his siren, prompting Paul to gesture toward the trooper with “what seemed to be a middle finger,” the report said.
The motorcycle, bearing a Pennsylvania license plate, merged into the lane closest to the trooper’s patrol car and Paul continued throwing his hands up and “staring” at the trooper.
Paul pulled over and when the trooper approached him, the trooper noticed that Paul was wearing a “partial helmet” and a “skull face mask” covered his face. He was also wearing a leather Iron Order Motorcycle Club jacket. He was identified by his Pennsylvania driver’s license.
Paul refused orders to remove his mask and denied he had been speeding. He raised his voice and tried to talk over the FHP trooper. The trooper could see Paul was armed with a large knife. The trooper “escorted” Paul to the hood of his vehicle and took him into custody. Paul was found to have additional knives, one in his boot and one in his pocket.
Sumter County sheriff’s deputies soon arrived on the scene as backup.
The trooper found that the license plate on the motorcycle had been assigned to a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle. A check of the VIN number of the 2006 Honda motorcycle Paul was riding revealed it was unregistered.
Paul was arrested on charges of failure to obey a law enforcement officer and failure to register his motorcycle. He was taken into custody and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center. Bond was set at $2,000.
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