There are several safety issues that could impact drivers. Sadly, two of the worst are car theft and random people trying to evade police traffic stops. Recently, police in Indiana tried to pull over a vehicle for a traffic stop, and it led to a chase, a lengthy standoff, and an encounter with the SWAT team. Now, the suspect is in custody. 

Car theft and people trying to evade a traffic stop often go hand in hand

According to WNDU, the situation began before midnight on December 26th when an officer on patrol spotted a van that had been reported for car theft. Of course, this led the officer to attempt a traffic stop, which the driver refused to pull over for. As is often the case in these situations, a police chase ensued. It’s unclear how long the police chase lasted, but pursuits of any length pose significant risks to public safety. 

At some point, the driver took an exit on the interstate and then pulled over. However, the report says that he refused to exit the van for the traffic stop. The police are said to have even deployed chemicals inside the vehicle to force him out. Things became so tense that they called the Elkhart Regional SWAT team, which then deployed gas inside the van, but this also failed to force the man out. It wasn’t until 5:30 am that the SWAT team, along with a K9, could convince the driver to exit the vehicle.

Following the traffic stop, they took the man to the hospital with plans to arrest him afterward. His charges are unclear at this time.