Full Notification

White County-Yesterday at approximately 10:30 p.m. on US 24 on the east side of the Washington Street Bridge near Monticello, IN a vehicle failed to stop for a trooper and was jailed after a short pursuit.

Yesterday evening Trooper Tyler Bentlage of the Indiana State Police at Lafayette Post was in his fully marked police commission observing traffic crossing the Washington Street Bridge when he noticed a red 1998 Ford Ranger pickup truck exceeding the speed limit of 25 miles per hour. Trooper Bentlage pulled his commission out behind the Ranger and activated his red and blue emergency lights to attempt to stop the Ranger. The Ranger ignored the lights and continued east on US 24 until it came to the intersection of County Road (CR) 650 east in White county where it turned south still ignoring the lights. Trooper Bentlage activated his siren on his commission and the Ranger Continued.

The Ranger turned east onto East Washington Street and then turned south onto CR 700 east driving erratically all over the roadway. The Ranger then turned west onto CR 1125 into Carroll County with Trooper Bentlage still trying to stop the vehicle.

The Ranger failed to negotiate a turn and ended up in a field with the suspect driver exiting the Ranger and fleeing on foot. Trooper Bentlage stopped and checked the Ranger to make sure there were no other occupants still inside. Trooper Jerrad Foutch and Monticello Police K-9 Officer Chuck Morehead and his partner “Marco” arrived to assist Trooper Bentlage.

Officer Morehead and Marco tracked the suspect for about 45 minutes when the suspect was located along a creek under a bridge. The suspect was given verbal commands to show his hands and surrender several times but refused. Marco was sent in to neutralize the suspect and officers placed the suspect, Bradley S. Ayers, 23 years old from Monticello, IN under arrest. Ayers was transported by ambulance to IU Health White Memorial Hospital in Monticello and released. He was then transported to White County Jail on three outstanding warrants from White, Knox and Montgomery County. He is also being held on charges of Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle a Class D Felony, Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated with a Prior Conviction within Five Years a Class D Felony and Driving While Suspended a Class A Misdemeanor. Other charges may be pending. The investigation is continuing.

Other departments that assisted were the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department and Monticello Fire Department.

Suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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