COLUMBUS, Ind. – Law enforcement arrested a Harrison County man after leading Columbus Police Department (CPD) officers and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a vehicle pursuit Wednesday night.
Officers tried to stop a car near National Road and Washington Street at around 11:40 p.m. The driver, Jeffrey W. Melvin II, 31, of Palmyra, allegedly refused to pull over and the chase began. Police say Melvin disregarded stop signs and traffic signals, reaching speeds of 80 mph.
The suspect tried to elude officers by turning off his vehicle’s headlights as he drove into the backyard of a residence in the 4300 block of Kennedy Court, per CPD. He then crashed into a fence and supposedly refused orders to exit the vehicle.
Police deployed a Taser, but the man was able to get his vehicle loose and the pursuit continued into a nearby farm field where he crashed into a ditch. Melvin then tried to flee on foot but was apprehended a short time later and placed under arrest.
He was taken to Columbus Regional Health for medical clearance and then remanded to Bartholomew County Jail on the preliminary charges of Resisting Law Enforcement in a Vehicle, (Level 6 Felony) and Habitual Traffic Violator, (Level 6 Felony). He was also booked for Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Resisting Law Enforcement, Reckless Driving, and Criminal Recklessness, all misdemeanors.
