For The Tribune

Four people who had been using drugs in a Columbus area motel Tuesday got into a dispute while driving through Johnson County, which led to a police pursuit that reached the south side of Indianapolis, police said.

Antoine Demetrius Ford, 31, of Hope was arrested on charges of auto theft, battery and resisting police, a felony. He already was wanted in Bartholomew County to face unrelated criminal charges and was on probation. He was just released from prison in December after serving 18 months on felony battery and possession of methamphetamine convictions in Bartholomew County.

The other three people have not been arrested.

Sheriff’s deputies were initially called to County Road 525E, just north of Whiteland Road and east of Interstate 65, at 10:40 a.m. A 29-year-old Seymour woman and a 27-year-old Columbus man told them that two people had stolen their vehicle, the news release said.

Greenwood police found the vehicle a few minutes later on Main Street, east of Greenwood. An officer tried to stop the car, but the driver, later identified as Ford, fled.

Sheriff’s deputies, Greenwood police, Indiana State Police, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and Beech Grove police began a police pursuit across the south side of Indianapolis.

An Indianapolis police officer used a maneuver that involves striking a suspect’s vehicle in an effort to stop the pursuit, the news release said.

At Beech Grove Middle School, Ford jumped out of the vehicle and ran. Officers captured him shortly, the release said.

Investigators later learned that the four people had been using drugs in a Columbus area motel before driving north into Johnson County. They had planned to exit the interstate in Edinburgh but didn’t because they saw a police car. They exited at Whiteland Road instead.

While on County Road 525E, east of Whiteland, the Columbus man was struck by Ford in the head with an object, the man told police.

A 20-year-old Columbus woman was with Ford when Greenwood police found the vehicle, and she jumped out of the car in Greenwood, the news release said. She is the only person cooperating with investigators, Sheriff Duane Burgess said.

Ford was taken to the hospital because police believe he ingested illegal narcotics before being arrested, the news release said.