A 42-year-old Columbus, Ohio man is facing a long list of charges after allegedly telling Rome police he was a CIA agent, then leading them on a high-speed chase during which he tried to run two officers over. Kenneth Maurice Cortledge II was taken into custody following the encounter at a location on Mount Alto Road, where authorities say the confrontation began.
According to Coosa Valley News, Cortledge was arrested after repeatedly identifying himself as a CIA agent during the encounter on Mount Alto Road. Police say that rather than cooperating, he got into his vehicle and sped off, setting off a chase through the area. Per mykcountry.com, officers say Cortledge fled from the traffic stop on Mt. Alto Road and attempted to run over two of them in the process.
Speeds Topped 80 MPH in a 40 Zone
Police accused Cortledge of blowing through a stop sign and a red light during the pursuit, ultimately reaching speeds above 80 mph in a 40 mph zone, the Coosa Valley News report states. Those numbers put the chase well outside the posted limits for the roadway, according to the police account relayed in the outlet's reporting.
Cortledge's insistence on his supposed government status didn't stop once he was stopped. The station's report quotes him telling officers at the scene, “He was with the CIA and was going to arrest all of the officers at the scene.” No evidence has been presented confirming any actual CIA affiliation — only that he made the claim repeatedly during the encounter.
Drugs Found, Charges Pile Up
Officers say a search turned up a small amount of marijuana and a methamphetamine pipe in Cortledge's possession, the same report notes. That discovery added drug charges to an already lengthy list stemming from the chase and the alleged assault on officers.
Cortledge was charged with five counts of obstruction and two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, according to Coosa Valley News. The outlet's account also lists charges of fleeing or attempting to elude, impersonating an officer, reckless driving, speeding, failure to obey traffic control devices, failure to maintain lane, driving on a suspended license, driving without insurance, possession of marijuana, possession of drug-related objects, and having no tag light.
The full scope of charges, drawn from both outlets' reporting, paints a picture of a traffic stop that escalated quickly into one of the more unusual arrest reports to come out of Rome this year. No court records were made available confirming how the case has proceeded since the arrest, and it remains unclear whether Cortledge has entered a plea or what his custody status is at this time.
