A 37-year-old Indianapolis man who stole two vehicles Monday was apprehended by members of law enforcement near Paoli in Orange County after a multi-county high-speed pursuit Monday, November 5, 2021.
Scanner traffic Monday indicated a man driving a truck collided with a semi-truck and other vehicles on Ind. 37 south of Bloomington around 3:30 p.m. Another driver began to pursue the truck while staying on the phone with 9-11 dispatchers.
Eventually, the truck crossed into Lawrence County, and the driver abandoned the truck near Johnny Junxions, and commandeered a Jeep.
According to a press release from the Lawrence County Sheriff Mike Branham Deputy Anthony Pope responded to the area and learned from a witness the Jeep had traveled north on Ind. 37.
“Deputy Pope caught up to the vehicle, activated lights, and sirens, and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, however, the vehicle refused to pull over,” said Branham.
The vehicle then crossed the median and headed southbound on Ind. 37. The pursuit continued for over an hour through Lawrence County, Orange County, and briefly entering Crawford County. Officers from the Bedford and Mitchell police departments, and the Indiana State Police joined the pursuit, according to Branham. Officers set up stop sticks in multiple locations but the suspect dodged them in the Jeep. At one point the suspect swerved toward Lawrence County Deputy Whitney Daugherty, who was deploying sticks and had to run out of the way to avoid being struck.
Later all four tires on the Jeep were deflated by stop sticks, but the driver continued driving on flat tires, and then eventually on just the rims. Captain Andy Blackburn then used a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle south of Paoli, according to Branham. The suspect was taken into custody and taken to jail in Lawrence County.
It was later learned that the white truck was stolen from a woman in Greencastle. The suspect stood in front of the truck and threatened to shoot her if she didn’t get out of the vehicle. The woman was able to get her husband, who uses a wheelchair, out of the passenger seat, but not get the wheelchair before the suspect sped away. She told investigators she believed he had a sawed-off shotgun, according to Branham. She’d tried to get the wheelchair from the back of the truck but was stopped by the suspect.
The suspect identified as Jerron D. Williams, 37-years-old, of Indianapolis, is being charged with intimidation with a deadly weapon, a level 6 felony; possession of marijuana, class b misdemeanor; criminal confinement, level 2 felony; criminal recklessness, level 6 felony; possession of a controlled substance, level 6 felony; possession of meth, level 6 felony; unlicensed driver, class c misdemeanor; auto theft, level 6 felony; intimidation, level 6 felony; resisting law enforcement, level 6 felony; robbery, level 3 felony.
Branham said drugs including marijuana, meth, and Buprenorphine were later found on Williams.
Sheriff Mike Branham said he would like to thank the Bedford Police Department, Mitchell Police Department, and Indiana State Police for helping end the pursuit safely.
