Full Notification

Crawfordsville-Early this morning in Crawfordsville, IN, Crawfordsville Police Department and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department placed four female juveniles into custody after attempting to run over a Crawfordsville Officer and then fleeing from the police.

Initial contact with the juveniles started at approximately 1:20 a.m. when a Crawfordsville Officer spotted a maroon 2002 Ford van on the south side of Crawfordsville. Police were looking for that vehicle reference the van being stolen out of Greencastle, IN. The Crawfordsville Officer stopped the vehicle in the parking lot of the Sears Appliance Store. The officer stepped out of the squad car and ordered the subjects out of the vehicle.
The driver put the van into reverse, struck the police car, and attempted to run the officer down. The officer fired several rounds at the van to protect himself. The van left the parking lot and the officer returned to his crashed police car and pursued the van.

The van left the parking lot and headed south onto US 231 for about a block and then turned into the Wal-Mart drive with the officer behind the van. The van stopped and all four of the occupants fled on foot. As other officers arrived, the initial officer had placed one into custody. He advised the arriving Crawfordsville and Montgomery County Sheriff’s officers that the three subjects had fled on foot into a nearby ditch. After a short foot pursuit, the other three suspects were placed into custody.

All four female juvenile suspects range from the age of 13 years to 17 years, had escaped earlier this morning from the ResCare Residential Program in Greencastle, IN. The stolen Ford van was the property of ResCare Residential Program. For information on the escape and stolen van you will need to contact the Greencastle Police Department. For questions regarding charges against the suspects contact Montgomery County Prosecutor Joe Buser. For questions regarding the pursuit and apprehension of the four juveniles, contact Sergeant Kim Riley of the Indiana State Police at the Lafayette State Police Post at 765-567-2125.

The investigation is being conducted by Master Trooper Detective Jay Harper and First Sergeant Tom McKee of the Indiana State Police Criminal Investigation Division, Sergeant Jim Cody of the Indiana State Police Crime Scene Investigations Unit, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department and Crawfordsville Police Department.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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