Man arrested after leading police on chase

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – One man was arrested after leading police on a vehicular pursuit.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said around 9 p.m. on Monday an officer saw a vehicle run a stop sign near Prospect and Harlan streets. The officer stopped the vehicle and obtained some identification information from the driver, identified as 37-year-old Travis Powell of Indianapolis. Police said Powell did not have a valid Indiana driver’s license and the officer asked him to step out of the SUV.

Instead, Powell sped away and nearly hit the officer according to IMPD.

At one point during the chase police used their patrol units to perform a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT), however the SUV kept going. Police said the SUV lost two of its tires and then hit a curb, flipped onto its side, then landed upright and stopped near at the intersection of South Sherman Drive and Southeastern Avenue.

IMPD said Powell ran away from where the chase ended, but he was caught by officers.

Police said Powell told officers he fled because he believed he had a warrant and didn’t want to go back to jail. He was arrested and is facing preliminary charges of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, Reckless Driving, Operating Having Never Received a License and Resist Fleeing.

Police said two young children and a woman were also in the SUV at the time of the chase. As a precautionary measure, the two children were taken to Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health to be checked out.

No one was hurt during the chase, but police vehicles did sustain some damage.

Stephanie Burkett said the SUV side-swiped a car that had her 8-year-old son, Kaleb Johnston, inside of it along with Johnston’s father.

Burkett said, “I was scared for him, definitely, when I hear a man’s drinking and driving and flipping cars and they just hit my baby. I was right down the road and obviously saw all of the lights and had to come make sure for myself that he was okay.”

Johnston said, “I started thinking I was going to die, but I didn’t.”