Vehicle Pursuit in Barton County ends in Vernon County

Photo #1

On 02-23-2017 at around 2:05pm the Barton County Dispatch received a 911 call of a domestic disturbance in the area of the hospital on I-49. Sheriff’s Deputies and City Officers responded to the area. It was reported that a woman was shoved from a vehicle and the vehicle drove on. 

The vehicle was described as a large box style truck with a panther on the side of it. The Barton County Dispatcher Jeremy Belcher was able obtain a lot of crucial information during the call and relay it to the officers. It was told that the woman had walked in the direction of Barton County Memorial Hospital. A short time later we received another report that the vehicle had returned to the area of the hospital and the woman had got back inside the vehicle. It was believed that she was just trying to obtain some of her belongings when the vehicle drove off. It was reported that the vehicle left the area driving northbound on NW 1st lane and then crossed over I-49 and got back northbound on NE 1st Lane. 

Law enforcement searched for the vehicle finding it Northbound past Washburn’s Farm and home supply on NE 1st Lane. Sheriff Shaw was on I-49 and following the vehicle as it traveled on 1st lane. At EE hwy and 1st Lane Sheriff Shaw attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle where the vehicle failed to stop. The Truck got back on I-49 and continued northbound with The Sheriff, Deputies and Lamar City officers pursuing the truck. Sheriff Shaw drove up along side of the truck and tried to get the driver to pull over to the side of the roadway however the driver of the vehicle failed to stop.

Sheriff Shaw drove on ahead of the fleeing vehicles and sat out stop sticks to try and deflate the tires. As the suspect vehicle approached the Sheriff’s stop sticks the suspect drove out through the median to try and miss hitting the sticks however one tire found the mark.

The Pursuit continued into Vernon County with Chief Deputy Toby Luce, Deputy Katie Thomas, and Lamar Deputy Chief John Davis right behind the suspect. Vernon County deputies Set up stop sticks to try and get the vehicle stopped once again around the Milo exit. The suspect took an off ramp to avoid the stop sticks once again. 

The Suspect continued back on I-49 Highway until it reached the 98 mile marker where two more Vernon County deputies had the road blocked with Stop Sticks in a manner that the suspect had no other means but to strike them. 

The suspect chose not to drive over the stop sticks and stopped the truck in the middle of the Highway and was taken into custody. The female was located safe in the truck and was transported back to the Barton County Sheriff’s Office. The pursuit lasted approximately 36 minutes.

The male subject was a 24 year of age black male from Jamestown New York. The man is being held in the Barton County Sheriff’s Office on a 24 hour hold for investigation. 

Reports will be sent to the Barton County Prosecuting attorney Steven Kaderly for consideration of filing formal criminal charges in regards to the domestic assault, and vehicle pursuit.