In late April, when an officer attempted a traffic stop on a 41-year-old Linton man suspected of dealing methamphetamine in Greene County, the man refused to stop and fled in his vehicle.

Then when he encountered a couple of state troopers, he rammed into one of their vehicles before driving through a yard and crashing into someone’s porch. He got out and ran, but was apprehended by a trooper in pursuit.

He was booked in to the Greene County Jail on April 25 and he’s still there – his bond is set at $100,000 surety with ten percent allowed. It would take $10,000 cash to bond out.

Justin Dean Norris is now facing multiple felony counts as a result of this incident and an ongoing investigation by the Greene County Drug Task Force. In court records, Norris is shown with a home address in Spencer, but jail records show him with a home address in Linton.

Following his arrest, when he appeared in Greene Superior Court for an initial hearing, he was charged with:

• Dealing in methamphetamine in an amount of 10 or more grams,  a Level 2 felony,
• Dealing in methamphetamine in an amount between five and ten grams, a Level 3 felony,
• Dealing in methamphetamine in an amount between one and five grams, a Level 4 felony,
• Possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony,
• Resisting law enforcement using a vehicle, a Level 6 felony, and
• Resisting law enforcement – knowingly or intentionally fleeing from law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor.

These charges reflect suspected sales of methamphetamine in three separate transactions. Police say they have evidence of these deals that occurred in April both in Linton and in a couple of other unspecified locations in Greene County.

Norris was driving a silver 1999 Chevrolet truck on SW 4th Street in Linton when an officer traveling behind him, Assistant Police Chief Ryan Van Horn of the Jasonville Police Department, activated the red and blue lights. From there, Norris fled northward through Linton.

When two Indiana State Police troopers in the area approached in their vehicles, Trooper Richard Klun and Trooper Brent Robinson, Norris turned and rammed Trooper Robinson’s patrol car. Then Norris turned again, traveling in an alley, then through a yard where he crashed into the porch of a Linton residence.

Norris then ran but Trooper Robinson gave chase on foot and apprehended Norris a short distance away.

During his initial hearing, a public defender was appointed to represent Norris and the amount of his bond was set.

Earlier in May, the defense filed a motion to reduce the bond, but that motion was denied by the court.

Norris is scheduled to appear at a pre-trial conference in June but a trial date has not yet been set in this case.