theJournal
Volume 14 Issue 21 | Friday, May 23, 2014
Sirens blare as high-speed chase blows through campus, police make arrest
An SUV hit three cars during a high-speed chase through Polk County. The pursuit ended in Independence when three of the car’s tires were flattened by deployed spike strips. Photos courtesy of Iain Dexter and Indpendence Police Department Facebook
by Laura Knudson editor-in-chief Two suspects were held at gunpoint yesterday after a highspeed chase through the middle of campus that resulted in multiple vehicle collisions. A male is now in custody after he and a female passenger were stopped in Independence. Sergeant Kevin Haynes of the Polk County Sheriff ’s office said the pursuit began in the 11000 block of Orrs Corner Road in Dallas after they received a suspicious vehicle call from a concerned citizen. Deputy Shon Latty responded to the call and attempted to stop the burgundy SUV. The vehicle sped past, beginning the high-speed chase that circled through Dallas before making its way to Highway 99. The SUV then turned south to Monmouth and headed toward Western. “There wasn’t enough time for us to warn anybody,” said Public Safety officer Trever Jackson. “We tried to keep people off and out of the roadways.” Nancy Minnick, committee scribe for Campus Public Safety said, “We scan the Polk County channels so we heard the start of it in Dallas.” She added that, after hearing that the SUV was on Stadium Drive, she went outside of the Public Safety office. “That’s when I heard the sirens and saw him coming.” Upon speeding around the corner of Jackson Street and turning right on Stadium Drive, the SUV drove around an oppositely parked Ford Mustang and collided with the front left side of the car. “I saw him go buzzing through the intersection,” said Ron Shinkle, a Monmouth resident. “He went over the curb, up into
the grass, ripping the right front fender off.” Latty stopped the car on Stadium Drive, ending pursuit to make an arrest, but the SUV continued through the grass and back onto the road, intentionally ramming the front ride side of Latty’s patrol car. Haynes said that in pursuits, drivers will sometimes ram patrol cars or try to make it look like they will to get the officer to end the pursuit. At this point Latty ended pursuit and Deputy Gregg Caudill took over. Haynes said it is typical to have at least two patrol cars on a pursuit. The first focuses on driving and staying with the vehicle being pursued. The second radios updates on speed, location, traffic conditions and, in situations like these, takes over pursuit. The chase wrapped through the dorms into a swarm of patrol cars that came from all directions to the intersection of Monmouth Avenue and Stadium Drive. Pedestrians rushed out of the way as the SUV blew through a stop sign with a line of patrol cars trailing. “I’ve been here 19 years and this is the first time I have seen something like that,” said Minnick. “Basically our role in that is to protect the campus the best we can,” Jackson said. Because of potential liability issues, he said that Public Safety “stayed out of pursuit and assisted with the motor vehicle accidents and the traffic control.” The patrol cars pursued the SUV into Independence, speeding through school zones where it hit another citizen car before Lt. Rick Igou deployed spike strips at the intersection of Monmouth Street and Main Street Three of the tired were flattened bringing it to a stop. After being alerted by an Independence Police Department
employee, crossing guards at 4th Street and 5th Street were able to get kids off Monmouth St. before the pursuit reached those locations. Jamie Bracamonte Rincon commented on the Independence Police Department’s Facebook page saying she was thankful for the call ahead to the crossing guards. “I have felt sick thinking the what ifs since we saw this chase happen. I thought it was good timing but thank God someone called,” she said. Jennifer Blanchard commented with, “Very exciting and citizens cheered as Lt. Igou threw the spikes out next to the bank.” The male suspect was taken into custody without incident, Haynes said. Yesterday is not the first time this suspect has been pursued. Haynes said they pursued the same man a few months ago, when the suspect rammed a Dallas patrol car on Highway 22. At the time of the initial call, Haynes was in the process of removing a child from a home assisting the Department of Human Services. He said it was “something I didn’t want to leave.” Haynes said that right now, “Our manpower is so low, we only have one patrol shift from noon until 12 at night”.” In response to this, Isaac McCormick, an Independence resident, said, “The state needs to pony up some more dollars.” Haynes said the Monmouth and Independence police departments were crucial to the investigation and assistance in handling the vehicles that had been hit. Involved in the entire pursuit were the Polk County Sheriff ’s Office, Dallas Police Department, Monmouth Police Department, Campus Public Safety and Independence Police Department. “Obviously so much is happening so not everything is noted,” Haynes said. He added, “If there is a victim we don’t know about, they should come forward.”
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