TEXARKANA, Texas -- Police have arrested a man on charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle and evading arrest in a vehicle after a pursuit with the suspect Wednesday.
Alfonso Taylor, 25, was also arrested on a possession of marijuana charge, according to the Texarkana Texas Police Department. He was arrested and booked into the Bi-State jail. His bail has been set at $72,000.
The pursuit began when Officer Austin Butts spotted a GMC Sierra pickup driving on West Fourth Street on Wednesday afternoon and immediately recognized it as the one that was stolen in Texarkana, Arkansas, earlier in the day, according to information from TTPD.
When Butts turned on his emergency lights, the driver pulled over as if he were going stop, according to police. However, he sped away at a high rate of speed as Butts pulled up behind him and put his patrol car in park.
The truck sped down Lake Drive and had gotten about two more blocks away when officers saw a large cloud of dust ahead of them, according to TTPD. They found the truck upside down in a ditch near West Fifth and Bowie streets, with Taylor allegedly struggling to climb out of the driver's window. Once Taylor got out, he allegedly took off running.
Taylor allegedly jumped over two fences and ran through some backyards with Butts and Officer Jonathan Price right behind him. Taylor reportedly fell, and when he was trying to stand, officers sprayed him with pepper spray. He then was taken into custody.