An Indianapolis man, identified as 28-year-old Christian Brown, was arrested Thursday afternoon after a police pursuit in Lebanon in which multiple vehicles, both police and civilian, were struck. According to WTHR, the sequence of events unfolded shortly before 3 p.m. when the Lebanon Police Department was notified about an automobile, reported as stolen, being tracked by its owner.
The police located a car matching the description as it was leaving an apartment complex on North Lebanon Street. In response, Brown is accused of refusing the officers' attempt to perform a traffic stop and fleeing, which lead to a pursuit. As reported by Fox59, during the chase, the suspect side-swiped a citizen's car, eventually hitting a Boone County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle, another police car, and yet another civilian vehicle before being boxed in by authorities near State Road 32 at Interstate 65.
The Lebanon Police Department has stated that once the pursuit ended, Brown did not comply with officers' commands to exit his vehicle, forcing them to break into the car to apprehend him. According to WISH-TV, Brown was taken into custody without further incident after the standoff. He has since been charged with a slew of offenses including auto theft, resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, and battery against law enforcement — all felonies, among other charges.
Both officers involved in the altercation suffered minor injuries but were treated and subsequently released from the hospital, WISH-TV reports. Meanwhile, Brown was medically cleared at Witham Memorial Hospital before being taken into a custody at Boone County Jail. Details regarding a forthcoming court appearance for Brown have yet to be announced.
