| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 1288 | 2011-12-06 | Troop A | Suspect Apprehended, Stolen Vehicle Recovered Following Pursuit |
TROOP A - NEWS RELEASE December 6, 2011 Suspect Apprehended, Stolen Vehicle Recovered Following Pursuit Port Allen – Louisiana State Police, Troop A arrested a Texas man today following a vehicle pursuit on Interstate 10 in West Baton Rouge Parish shortly after noon. The pursuit began after Troopers attempted to stop the stolen vehicle that the man was driving. Supervisors assigned to Troop A received a phone call at noon today regarding a stolen vehicle that was in the area. The vehicle was identified as a 2008 Black BMW M3, and supervisors notified all Troop personnel on patrol to be on the lookout for it. A patrol Trooper in the area observed the vehicle traveling east on Interstate 10 just west of LA 415 and pulled in behind it. The Trooper was able to positively identify that the vehicle he was following was stolen, and he initiated a traffic stop. The driver of the BMW, Wesley Saunders (W/M, age 32) of Austin, TX, brought the vehicle to a stop on the shoulder of Interstate 10 eastbound, west of Port Allen. The Trooper directed Saunders to get out of the vehicle at gunpoint, but Saunders failed to obey the Trooper’s commands and shifted the vehicle into gear in an attempt to evade capture. The Trooper, in close proximity, fired one shot into the left rear tire of the vehicle just before Saunders sped away eastbound on Interstate 10, and a pursuit ensued. Troopers, with the assistance of West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and Port Allen Police Department, pursued the suspect for several minutes before the left rear tire separated from the rim and he lost control of the vehicle. The BMW ran off the road to the right and overturned on the shoulder of Interstate 10 eastbound between LA 415 and LA 1 in Port Allen. Saunders exited the vehicle, and a foot pursuit ensued. Saunders ran to local business in Port Allen where he stole a second vehicle, a white Ford pickup. Additional Troopers, Sheriff’s Deputies, and Port Allen P.D. Officers assisted in the pursuit of the Ford pickup and apprehended Saunders on Court Street in Port Allen. State Police Detectives were called to investigate the circumstances surrounding the stolen vehicle and the pursuit. Saunders has been arrested and is currently in the custody of State Police Detectives. He will be booked into the West Baton Rouge Detention Center on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen things (two stolen license plates), vehicle theft, aggravated flight from an officer, and resisting arrest. There are also several active felony warrants for Saunders’ arrest in Texas. Contact Information: TFC Russell G. Graham II | |||
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