INDIANAPOLIS -- A man was arrested over the weekend after officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department witnessed a Dodge Charger reportedly performing burn-outs in a parking lot of a storage facility on the near south side of Indianapolis.
According to a post on IMPD's social media, officers were conducting proactive patrols in the 2700 block of Madison Avenue around 11 p.m. on May 24 when they reportedly witnessed a black Dodge Charger performing burn-outs and driving at a high rate of speed in the parking lot of a storage facility.
Officials said that a drone was used to capture video of the vehicle "spinning" in the parking lot near a group of people.
”What was captured on drone video and what the officers observed was this particular Charger in a crowd of people. There were onlookers in the area. At one point a passenger is even seen hanging outside of this vehicle as it recklessly drives through the parking lot,” said IMPD Officer Amanda Hibschman. ”Using drone technology they did witness a black Charger conducting burnouts and spinning in a parking lot."
When officers responded to the area, they saw the Charger exit the parking lot and go southbound on Madison Avenue "at a dangerously high rate of speed."
IMPD attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, which was reportedly driven by 24-year-old Reginold Winfield. Winfield refused to pull over and a seven-mile vehicle pursuit then started. Officials said in the post that the Charger was traveling at twice the posted speed limit and attempted to evade police by shutting off all the lights to the vehicle.
During the chase, officials said a rear tire on the Charger went flat and Winfield continued to drive on the rim. The vehicle eventually slid into a grassy median near the 2300 block of Keystone Ave. Winfield and a female passenger were then taken into custody.
"Officers responded to the area and that Charger fled the scene. They attempted to conduct a traffic stop and were unsuccessful in doing so," Hibschman said. "Eventually the Charger got down on its rim and was unable to be driven any further and the driver of that vehicle was taken into custody.”
The post read that Winfield was arrested for criminal recklessness, resisting law enforcement and a number of traffic-related offenses. The passenger was released at the scene.
”He was found to be illegally operating that vehicle. He had a suspended license with a prior conviction,” said Hibschman.
IMPD has been responding to an increasing number of street takeovers and burnouts in parking lots and, as a result, has had to adapt its law enforcement tactics to halt a crime that is, by its very nature, constantly on the move.
”The assistance of drone technology and the help from the Indiana State Police helicopter were huge in this arrest specifically but we’re going to continue using the resources we have available to us to track these individuals and apprehend them safely and successfully,” said Hibschman.
IMPD referred FOX59/CBS4 to the as-yet unfiled probable cause affidavit for details on the speed of the pursuit, the various traffic violations he allegedly racked up and whether ISP helicopter assistance played a role in pursuing officers adhering to department policy of backing off from the fleeing suspect.
Hibschman said officers seized two firearms and some marijuana found in Winfield’s vehicle.
”And we took his car.”