Staff Reports
Officers with Jennings County Sheriff’s Department arrested two men after a pursuit Monday night.
The incident that led to the arrests of Michael Franklin, 43, of Floyds Knobs and Robert Sibley, 31, of Madison started when an officer attempted to stop a vehicle driven by a man, later identified as Franklin, for a motor vehicle infraction, according to a news release from the sheriff’s department.
Franklin, however, fled north on County Road 600W in Spencer Township after that stop, reported at 8:04 p.m., police said.
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While in pursuit, the officer observed an occupant of the vehicle throw items from the vehicle, police reported.
As the pursuit continued, another officer was able to deploy a tire deflation device in the area of county roads 550W and 300N in Geneva Township.
The driver, however, attempted to elude police by traveling off the roadway through a large field, police said.
The vehicle then became disabled in a large drainage ditch, and Franklin and Robert Sibley both fled on foot. They were captured after a brief foot pursuit.
Police then returned to the area where the articles were thrown from the vehicle and found a pound of methamphetamine and approximately 1 ounce of heroin/fentanyl. Police also reported seizing more than $3,000 in U.S. currency from Sibley.
Both men were taken to the Jennings County Jail.
The two both face preliminary Level 2 felonies of dealing in methamphetamine, Level 3 felonies of possession of methamphetamine, Level 6 felonies of resisting law enforcement and possession of a hypodermic syringe or needle and Class B misdemeanors of possession of marijuana.
Franklin is being held on a $10,155 cash bond, while Sibley is being held on a $20,155 cash bond due to being on house arrest through Jefferson County.
Clark’s Wrecker Service and Jennings County Central Dispatch also participated with the incident.