On Monday November 15th 2021 @ approximately 3:30 p.m., Lawrence County Central Dispatch received a BOL (Be On the Lookout) from Monroe County regarding a white Chevrolet ¾ ton truck with the tailgate hanging off and tire damage from two hit and run collisions.

The vehicle was last seen southbound on State Road 37 nearing the Lawrence/Monroe County line. Dispatch then began receiving multiple 911 calls that a white truck had ran off into the median and was disabled, and that a male got out of the truck and attempted to stop motorists in the area, eventually stopping a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee, forcing the occupants from the vehicle, stealing it and then driving northbound on State Road 37. It was also stated that the male occupant was possibly armed.

Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputy Anthony Pope responded to the area and encountered several people out of their vehicles on State Road 37 near Judah and stopped. Deputy Pope found out from a witness that the stolen Jeep had went northbound.

Deputy Pope caught up to the vehicle, activated lights and sirens, and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, however, the vehicle refused to pull over. Just north of the Lawrence/Monroe County line the Jeep crossed the median and headed southbound on State Road 37, continuing all the way through Lawrence and Orange Counties, and briefly entering Crawford County.

Officers from Bedford and Mitchell Police Departments and the Indiana State Police joined the pursuit, while others set up in front of the pursuit with spike strips in multiple locations. The driver managed to avoid spike strips several times, including one occasion when he swerved toward Lawrence County Deputy Whitney Daugherty who was deploying spike strips and had to run out of the way to avoid being hit.

Eventually, spike strips were successfully deployed and all four tires were deflated, however, the driver continued on flat tires and eventually was operating on just rims. Due to the vehicle continuing, being unable to maintain control, and stay in its lane, Captain Andy Blackburn used a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle south of Paoli and the suspect was taken into custody without further incident, and transported to the Lawrence County Security Center.

It was determined later that the white truck in the initial BOL was reported stolen earlier in the day from Indianapolis. IMPD was informed of the recovery of the truck, and the identity of the operator.

The couple who had their Jeep stolen were from Greencastle and the female driver advised that the suspect stepped in front of her moving vehicle and when she stopped he threatened to shoot her if she didn’t get out of the vehicle. She believed that the suspect was holding what looked like a sawed-off shotgun. The driver got out of the vehicle and attempted to get a wheelchair out of the back of the vehicle for her husband but was stopped by the suspect. The female managed to get her husband out of the passenger seat without his wheelchair and the suspect drove off.

In the pockets of the suspect, officers found a green leafy substance that field tested positive for marijuana, a white powdery substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine, and one pill identified as Buprenorphine, a schedule three controlled substance.

The suspect, Jerron D. Williams (37) of 5002 Oakhurst Drive, Indianapolis, was booked in on the following offenses:

• INTIMIDATION WITH A DW 35-45-2-1(a)(A)(ii)(b)(2)(A) Level 6 Felony

• POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA 35-48-4-11 Class B misdemeanor

• CRIMINAL CONFINEMENT 35-42-3-3(A)(B)(4) Level 2 Felony

• CRIMINAL RECKLESSNESS 35-42-2-2( Level 6 Felony

• X2 POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE 35-48-4-7(A) Level 6 Felony

• POSSESSION OF METH 35-48-4-6.1(A) Level 6 Felony

• UNLICENSED DRIVER 9-24-18-1 Class C misdemeanor

• AUTO THEFT 35-43-4-2.5( Level 6 Felony

• INTIMIDATION 35-45-2-1(A) Level 6 Felony

• RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT 35-44.1-3-1(B)(1) Level 6 Felony

• ROBBERY 35-42-5-1 Level 3 Felony