Columbia man charged after Friday night police chase
Madison Stuerman
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Columbia man has been charged after he was accused of leading police on a chase Friday night.
Jarvis Chevis, 34, of Columbia, was charged with five felonies, including possession of controlled substance, third-degree assault with a special victim, resisting arrest, first-degree property damage and tampering with physical evidence.
Court documents state police saw a dark colored 2008 Dodge Charger make a left turn from College Avenue onto East Broadway when the light was red.
The officer tried to make a traffic stop, but the car, which is registered to Chevis, did not stop.
Documents state this led to a pursuit that lasted 35 minutes and was stopped due to the danger to the public multiple times and restarted when it was safe.
Officers said the car was reported to be going 50 miles per hour in residential neighborhoods. Chevis was also allegedly to have been driving on the wrong side of the road, making illegal U-turns, and running multiple stop signs and stoplights.
Chevis allegedly ran over a fire hydrant near the intersection of Ash Street and McBaine Avenue. Police said the hydrant was broken, causing $1,000 worth of damage.
Police said Chevis did not listen to the officer’s command to get out of the vehicle after hitting the hydrant. Documents state that they broke the window and tased him to remove him from the vehicle.
During his arrest, officers reported finding a small bag of a white substance, which later tested positive for cocaine, in his mouth that he was trying to swallow. Another bag with white powder was found in the car, according to documents.
Court documents state that while taking Chevis into custody, three Columbia police officers sustained physical injuries, causing them to bleed. One officer had glass removed from his hand by medics.
According to police, Chevis has a revoked driving status and has three convictions for it in the last ten years. He was also reported to be on probation for possession of a controlled substance and forgery.
He was booked into the Boone County jail on Friday and is being held without bond.