INDIANAPOLIS — Two people were hospitalized and a suspect is behind bars following a police chase and crash overnight.
Police said the incident began after midnight Wednesday when officers were called to a home in the 1700 block of Thaddeus Street (near the intersection of S. State Street and E. Minnesota on near southeast side).
The 40-year-old suspect was in a domestic disturbance with a woman and reportedly stole the keys to her Jeep at gunpoint and shot at the home.
Responding officers soon spotted the Jeep and tried to get the driver to stop. Police said the suspect failed to stop and drove down Minnesota Street, ran a stop sign and hit a vehicle going north on State.
The crash wounded a husband and wife.
Police said a woman driving that vehicle was ejected from the car and was rushed to the hospital for surgery. A man who was also in the car was hurt, although his injuries are not believed to be as severe.
Even though that chase ended with bystanders being sent to the hospital, police believe their officers followed the department’s pursuit policy.
“At this point, all the evidence indicated that we were good on the pursuit. It was a vehicle theft. He was wanted on other felonies,” said IMPD Commander Kerry Buckner.
In fact, court records show 40-year-old Carl Young Jr. has been charged in 20 criminal cases over 20 years in Marion County.
That criminal history includes 4 criminal cases totaling 10 felony counts filed since February of last year.
Just last week Young was charged with operating a vehicle as a habitual offender following a different crash.
Because that charge violated his probation, a warrant was issued for Young’s arrest mere hours before the chase.
“At what point do residents say we’ve had enough?” asked FOP President Rick Snyder.
IMPD said the suspect also intentionally crashed into several police vehicles before the pursuit ended, and he was taken into custody.
After the suspect was detained, IMPD said they found a shotgun and a large amount of narcotics that he is suspected of stashing in the stolen Jeep.
Young was also wearing a GPS monitor at the time of his arrest and Indianapolis FOP President Rick Snyder argued the case serves as another example of a flawed legal system.
“The victim in this domestic deserved better and so did the victims in the crash,” said Snyder. “Frankly so do the officers involved who risk their lives day in and day out tracking down and chasing the same suspects over and over again.”
Snyder spent his day at the statehouse in support of Senate Bill 9, which passed through committee, and calls for improved standards and staffing for agencies that oversee electronic monitoring.
The suspect remains behind bars at the Marion County jail. He’s due in court on Thursday.
