Parolee leads police on chase after ramming vehicle.

Parolee leads police on chase after ramming vehicle.

#MasonCountyCrime

LUDINGTON — A 64-year-old Manistee man was captured by Mason County sheriff’s deputies following a chase down Ludington Avenue early Tuesday morning June 23, said Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole.

The suspect, who was recently paroled for a second-degree murder conviction, rammed a vehicle in the Meijer parking lot before fleeing from police, Cole said.

“On Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 5:24 a.m., MCSO deputies were called to a reported assault in the Meijer parking lot,” said Cole. “Initial information alleged the suspect had driven his Ford F-150 pickup truck around the victim’s vehicle in circles three times in an effort to strike the vehicle before ramming into it. Each time the victim had taken evasive actions to avoid the collisions before being struck in the passenger side. The suspect left the parking lot westbound on US 10 while the victim called 911. There was no known relationship between the suspect and victim.

“Three MCSO deputies responding to the call encountered the suspect vehicle traveling westbound on US 10 with no lights on at the Ludington city limits. Deputies attempted a traffic stop. However, the driver failed to stop and fled westbound into Ludington at speeds of 60-65 mph. Following several blocks, the suspect finally pulled to the side of the road, at Ludington Avenue/US 10 and James Street, where he was taken into custody without incident.”

The suspect is currently being held in the Mason County Jail on a parole detainer stemming from a 1980 conviction for second-degree murder in St. Claire County, for which he was paroled in 2019, Cole said. Additional charges of fleeing and eluding police, assault with a motor vehicle and reckless driving are being sought by the sheriff’s office through the Mason County Prosecutor’s Office.

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