A 24-year-old Blenheim man is facing a handful of charges after a traffic stop near Shrewsbury led to an eventful police chase.
Chatham-Kent police said their investigation started when an officer who was on patrol in Shrewsbury shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday recognized a vehicle travelling on New Scotland Line and knew it was uninsured.
That officer tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver allegedly sped up and continued driving, so a second officer was called in to assist.
Police said during their pursuit, the man allegedly intentionally crashed his vehicle into a cruiser in order to escape after officers tried to block him in.
The officer was able to maintain control of the cruiser, though, and managed to use it to slow the man down until his vehicle stopped.
The man then allegedly locked himself in the vehicle, so an officer had to break a window to arrest him.
The man also reportedly resisted arrest before he was eventually taken into custody.
When police were searching the man, they allegedly found some suspected fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine, cannabis marihuana, and a glass pipe in his possession along with a large quantity of cash.
Officers also said they learned that the man had been suspended from driving and did not have consent from the registered owner of the vehicle to drive it.
As a result of the investigation, 24-year-old Jonathan Walker of Flemingo Street in Blenheim was charged with one count each of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, assault with a weapon, resisting arrest, and driving while under suspension. He was also charged with two counts of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking.
He was taken into custody pending a bail hearing.