UPDATE at 9:50 a.m. today
A Jennings County man faces as many as 10 preliminary criminal charges related to an incident that started with a domestic disturbance Friday night in North Vernon and ended with a foot pursuit.
Zachary B. Taylor, 24, of North Vernon faces charges of criminal confinement, strangulation, auto theft, reckless driving, domestic battery, intimidation, resisting law enforcement by vehicle, resisting law enforcement, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and operating while never having received a driver’s license, according to the Jennings County Jail.
Taylor’s arrest occurred after North Vernon officers were called to investigate a physical domestic dispute at 10:06 p.m. Friday at a restaurant in the 1400 block of North State Street, according to a news release from North Vernon Police Department.
Officers arriving at the scene were told a male had struck a female across the face and the two had left the area in a white Mercury, police said. The male was driving the vehicle.
A short time later, officers with Jennings County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to a domestic dispute in progress in the 2700 block of County Road 300N. During that incident. the same white Mercury was reported as traveling back to town from County Road 300 North.
City Reserve Officer Evan Ponsler, who was traveling west on U.S. 50 near State Road 3, then reported the Mercury passed him going east at a high rate of speed.
Ponsler said he turned on the vehicle and activated his emergency overhead lights and siren in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The driver, however, disregarded Ponsler and continued at a high rate of speed, police said.
The vehicle continued north on County Road 75W where the driver failed to stop sign at a four-way stop at County Road 350N and County Road 75W, police said.
The driver then drove the vehicle off of the road into a field west of NVIC, an iron foundry in the 3700 block of Fourth Street, lost control of the vehicle and wrecked. The driver fled on foot away from the accident scene.
North Vernon Officer Shane Trepanier with K9 Zobi responded to Ponsler’s location and attempted to track the fleeing suspect, police said.
Jennings County Sgt. Cody Low was then able to detain the male, who was identified as Zachary B. Taylor.
Taylor was then into the Jennings County Jail at 12:02 a.m. Saturday and was being held on $10,005 bond.