SCOTTSBURG, Ind. — A southern Indiana man was arrested after he allegedly stole a police cruiser and led officers on a high-speed chase Thursday morning.
At about 1:30 a.m., officers with the Scottsburg City Police Department were investigating an unrelated call at the I-65 Studio Suites Hotel near Exit 29 in Scottsburg when a man stole a marked police car in the hotel parking lot and drove away, according to an SCPD news release.
Shortly thereafter, officers found the stolen police cruiser traveling southbound on I-65 a few miles south of the city. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver continued to flee southbound, sometimes traveling over 100 mph.
As the driver continued to flee, Scott County and Clark County officers as well as trooper from the Indiana State Police - Sellersburg Post joined the pursuit.
Officers deployed Stop Stick tire deflation devices near the 12 and 9 mile markers in Clark County; however, despite damage to the tires, authorities say the driver continued southbound at speeds approaching 140 mph.
As officers were about to try a new maneuver to stop the vehicle, the driver lost control of the car, veering into the concrete median barrier around the 3 mile marker near Eastern Blvd. The vehicle came to a stop as it scraped against the barrier wall.
The driver, later identified as 44-year-old Roger Stamper of Austin, Ind., exited through the passenger side door of the stolen police car shortly after the crash. Officers used a taser to subdue Stamper when authorities say he refused to follow commands. Police took him into custody and he was medically cleared before he was booked in the Scott County Jail.
Roger Stamper was cited for numerous traffic offenses and was also charged with the following:
- Theft of a Motor Vehicle - Level 6 Felony
- Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle - Level 6 Felony
- Unauthorized Entry of a Motor Vehicle - B Misdemeanor
- Resisting Law Enforcement - A Misdemeanor
- Aggressive Driving, Unsafe Operation - A Misdemeanor
- Reckless Driving - B Misdemeanor
- Driving While Suspended
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