By Suzie Ziegler
RAWLINS, Wyo. — A Florida man is facing a slew of charges after leading two back-to-back pursuits last week. Notably, the man managed to steal a police car while handcuffed.
According to Rawlins Police, it all began on October 8 when officers tried to pull over a motorcycle that had no visible registration. The rider, James Estes, refused to pull over. At some point, Estes ditched the motorcycle and took off running. After a brief foot pursuit, officers took Estes into custody.
But this was only half-time.
Estes was handcuffed (behind his back) and placed in the back seat of a squad car. That’s when Estes maneuvered his arms to his front, crawled through the center partition of the back cage, put the cruiser in gear and took off.
Rawlins Police and Wyoming Highway Patrol began the pursuit (again) until Estes lost control and crashed. In a last-ditch effort, Estes took off running (again) before officers chased him back down and took him into custody (again). Estes made it 70 miles before crashing, according to the Cowboy State Daily.
The determined suspect is now facing charges related to theft of the police vehicle, fleeing, eluding and possession of a controlled substance, police said.
https://www.facebook.com/RawlinsPoliceDepartment/photos/a.1830303080579690/3056506994625953/