Highway 20 pursuit ends in arrest of felony suspect
Seth Ratliff
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — A man with an active felony arrest warrant is in custody following an alleged stalking incident and pursuit on Highway 20, according to a post on the Rexburg Police Department Facebook page.
On Sunday at approximately 5:30 PM, Rexburg police responded to a report from a woman stating that her ex-boyfriend had followed her home from work and was waiting outside her residence.
Officers promptly arrived at the scene but were initially unable to locate the man. However, they successfully identified him and his vehicle and discovered he had an active nationwide extradition warrant for three felony charges.
Law enforcement maintained a presence in the area to locate the suspect. Approximately two hours later, officers monitoring the victim’s residence observed the man returning. Upon seeing the officers, the suspect immediately fled in his vehicle.
Three Rexburg Police officers attempted a traffic stop, but the man refused to yield, leading to a pursuit southbound on Pioneer Road. Due to the suspect’s dangerous driving, officers made the decision to reduce their speed and increase the distance to prioritize public safety, according to the Rexburg PD.
The suspect continued southbound, crossing the Rexburg city limits onto 5000 South, where Madison County Sheriff’s deputies joined the pursuit as he entered Highway 20 at the Thornton exit.
“At this point, officers coordinated a rolling box-in maneuver to stop the pursuit and take the suspect into custody,” the Rexburg PD stated in a Facebook post. “One officer positioned their vehicle in front of the suspect’s vehicle, while another moved behind. Unfortunately, the suspect executed a U-turn, crossing the median and heading northbound on Highway 20.”
The wanted man then allegedly attempted to drive northbound in the southbound lanes of Highway 20, driving towards oncoming traffic. Deputies successfully blocked his path, forcing him back to the northbound side of the road.
As officers closed in, the fleeing vehicle rammed a police car.
Law enforcement then executed a PIT (Pursuit Intervention Technique) maneuver, causing the suspect’s vehicle to spin to a safe stop on the northbound off-ramp at the same exit.
Officers strategically positioned their vehicles to prevent the suspect from fleeing again, and he was taken into custody without further incident.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital for a precautionary medical evaluation. He was subsequently booked into the Madison County Jail on the three original felony warrants, as well as new charges of felony eluding and misdemeanor stalking in the second degree.
“We’re thankful to our partners at the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Idaho State Police, for responding and assisting us on this call,” the Rexburg PD stated in their post.