A Clark County man was arrested Wednesday by police investigating the theft of more than $3,000 in tools from The Home Depot in Seymour and then leading police on a vehicle pursuit through multiple counties.

Charles Lester Dexter Jr., 44, of Jeffersonville faces preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, theft and carrying a handgun without a permit by a convicted felon or prior conviction.

Dexter also was wanted on several outstanding warrants out of Harrison County, according to a news release from Lt. C.J. Foster with theSeymour Police Department.

At 1:08 p.m. Wednesday, investigators with the department received a call from The Home Depot asset protection advising an individual had walked out of the store with a large amount of Milwaukee cordless tools and left in a vehicle, Foster said.

The information was relayed to patrol officers. A short time later, a trooper with the Indiana State Police Versailles Post located the suspect vehicle traveling south on Interstate 65 around the 42 mile marker near Uniontown, police reported.

Troopers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver disregarded their efforts and continued to flee south down the interstate into Scott County, Foster said. After leaving the interstate, the pursuit continued through the Scottsburg area and east toward Jefferson County.

At one point, the driver of the vehicle threw a handgun from the vehicle in a construction area, Foster said. The handgun was later recovered.

The vehicle ultimately struck a barrier and came to a stop around State Road 3 and State Road 350 in Scott County, Foster said.

Dexter was then arrested and taken to the Scott County Detention Center in Scottsburg.

Seymour Police Department investigators recovered and returned the 14 Milwaukee cordless tools to the store, Foster said. He said those tools were valued at more than $3,000.

Investigators will forward the information to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office requesting Dexter be charged.