INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana State Police troopers patrolling the east side of Indianapolis at 16th Street and Shadeland Avenue on Monday night spotted a car reported stolen earlier in the day.
Troopers report that the driver, Joshua Shepherd, 29, refused to pull over.
A pursuit began that resolved itself minutes later when Shepherd ran off the side of southbound I-65 approaching County Line Road, put his vehicle in a ditch and refused commands to surrender.
"The officers began to establish a perimeter. We were very close to a hospital so we sent officers over there to make sure nothing came that way and we waited for the ISP SWAT team," said ISP Sgt. John Perrine. "There are so many unknowns here to our officers. We don’t know what’s in the vehicle. We don’t know why he’s barricaded. We don’t know who’s in the vehicle at this time."
With the arrival of the ISP SWAT Team, and the cajoling of negotiators, Shepherd exited the vehicle and surrendered but not before traffic was halted for two-and-a-half hours until after midnight.
"I-65 southbound was closed. We were diverting all traffic onto Southport Road," said Perrine. "We made the choice to close the interstate just for the safety of everybody passing by."
Shepherd was driving a car that was reported stolen from a southside location that was listed as his home address on previous IMPD reports.
His criminal history includes arrests for domestic violence, criminal confinement, auto theft, drug possession and firearms violations, the last charge which resulted in jail time.
Shepherd now faces new charges of Driving While Intoxicated, Resisting, Methamphetamine Possession and Auto Theft.
Last year, ISP troopers were involved in 240 vehicle pursuits in Marion County.
"Running from the police in a vehicle is the felony and so that is a crime by itself," said Perrine. "Just pull over. I think people often get the misconception that they’re going to get away and oftentimes they don’t."