Pursuit Ends with Arrest of Carjacking Suspect
Indianapolis- A short vehicle pursuit by Indianapolis troopers ended with the suspect being wanted for more than traffic violations.
Yesterday morning, April 15th, at approximately 11:00 a.m., Indiana State Trooper Adam Buell attempted to stop a 1997 GMC Yukon on I-465 near the 43mm for a traffic violation.
When Trooper Buell activated his emergency lights and siren the vehicle sped up and entered I-70- EB from I-465-SB with speeds approaching 90 MPH.
The Yukon exited onto Post Road, cut through the Waffle House restaurant parking lot and continued EB on 21st Street. Vehicle speeds reached 90 MPH as the Yukon disregarded stop signs, traffic signals and passed other vehicles on the wrong side of the road.
During the pursuit troopers were advised that IMPD had taken a carjacking report earlier in the day involving a vehicle that matched the description of the fleeing vehicle.
As the fleeing vehicle approached 46th Street on Carroll Road it went off the right side of the roadway onto the grassy shoulder due to another vehicle ahead. When the Yukon came back onto the roadway Trooper Shana Kennedy was able to effectively conduct the P.I.T. maneuver on the vehicle, disabling it just south of 46th Street. The PIT maneuver, or precision immobilization technique, is a pursuit tactic by which a pursuing car can force a fleeing car to abruptly turn sideways, causing the driver to lose control and stop. The technique is typically used by law enforcement officers as a safer alternative with which to bring car chases to a conclusion.
The driver, Joshua Wesley Lee, 18, was arrested without incident and was taken into custody by IMPD to be questioned regarding the earlier carjacking.
Lee was transported to the Marion County Processing Center and faces charges of Possession of Stolen Property, Resisting Law Enforcement with a Motor Vehicle, Class D Felonies and Reckless Driving, Driving While Suspended, Class A Misdemeanors along with several traffic violations which are the result of the pursuit.
Troopers often find that the “routine traffic stop” for a minor traffic infraction can be a possible felon fleeing their last crime or traveling to engage in another. Remember, serious and violent law breakers drive cars too.
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MYERS
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
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