MARION, Ind. — Officers from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man who led police on a chase in a stolen vehicle on Friday.
According to a Facebook post, around 4:48 p.m., deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop with the driver of a vehicle that had been previously reported as stolen.
The initial traffic stop took place near 22nd and Washington Streets in Marion. At first, the vehicle was stopped near 22nd and Washington Streets, but the driver of the car did not follow law enforcement’s commands.
Deputies asked the driver to show his hands and exit the car. Instead of following orders, the driver fled the scene, initiating a chase with police.
The chase lasted 12 minutes, per GCSO. The driver traversed 38th Street, Home Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Lincoln Boulevard, State Road 18 and Montpelier Pike during the pursuit. The suspect even drove through a field for about 1/4 mile.
Shortly after the driver entered the field, he crashed into a nearby wooded area. The driver was identified as 43-year-old Marion resident Frank Phong Phan.
GCSO reported that Phan has a prior criminal history, is a known felon who was considered armed and dangerous and is wanted out of the State of Ohio.
Even after the crash, Phan refused multiple commands to exit the stolen vehicle and surrender. Police used loudspeakers and called Phan’s phone during their encounter with him.
Phan refused to comply. Per GCSO, he and deputies were involved in a standoff for 49 minutes.
The standoff ended when the sheriff’s office deployed an armored vehicle to approach and physically apprehend Phan. Upon the armored vehicle’s approach, Phan voluntarily surrendered. Police reported that he exited the vehicle with his hands in the air.
The car Phan allegedly stole was a gray 2010 Audi SUV. It was reported stolen to the Fort Wayne Police Department on Sunday.
Phan now faces the following preliminary charges:
- Auto theft (Level 6 felony)
- Resisting law enforcement (Level 6 felony)
- Unlawful possession or use of a legend drug (Level 6 felony)
- Possession of marijuana (Class B misdemeanor)
- Reckless driving (Class B misdemeanor)
Comments are closed.