Facing up to 55 years in prison, the man who took an AK-47 to a Key Biscayne falafel shop before leading police on a wild chase, accepted a plea deal Friday of 180-days in jail.
Accepting the plea, Circuit Court Judge William Altfield told Ashanti Earp that a probation violation could mean he’d face the maximum. The jail term will be followed by one year under house arrest and three years probation.
Earp, 31, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, possession of a bullet proof vest while armed, fleeing a police officer, and resisting arrest without violence.
Last August, police said Earp confronted the owner of the Pita Pockets, whose daughter was Earp’s ex-boyfriend. The shopkeeper called police, and then a wild chase ensued.
Officers found an AK-47 at the scene that fell out of Earp’s vehicle. Police also found rifle magazines, a knife, a radio, and a high temperature flare. A park ranger also found a Glock handgun on the roadway near the Bear Cut Bridge.
During the chase, police said Earp sideswiped a Key Biscayne officer’s car on U-S 1, forcing it into the median. The officer was not injured, police said.
At the eight-minute plea hearing, Judge Altfield asked if the victims had been consulted about the plea deal. Earp’s defense attorney, Raymond Calderin, said that prosecutors had informed him they had spoken with the Key Biscayne officers.
A charge of aggravated assault involving the owner of the Pita Pockets was dropped for lack of evidence, said Ed Griffith, a spokesman for State Attorney Katherine Ferdnandez Rundle.
Police Chief Frank Sousa, asked for comment about the deal, said “We’re glad that justice was able to prevail,” but noted prosecution decisions are out of his department’s hands. A representative for Key Biscayne’s Police union declined comment.
The Pita Pockets owner, who asked his name not be used, said the six-months in jail was acceptable, “as long as he learns his lesson.”
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Tony Winton is the editor-in-chief of the Key Biscayne Independent and president of Miami Fourth Estate, Inc. He worked previously at The Associated Press for three decades winning multiple Edward R. Murrow awards. He was president of the News Media Guild, a journalism union, for 10 years. Born in Chicago, he is a graduate of Columbia University. His interests are photography and technology, sailing, cooking, and science fiction.