Columbus, IN — On December 23, 2020, around 4:30 am, a Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Deputy was inside Circle K when he observed a passenger car abruptly pull away from the gasoline pump, pulling the nozzle away from the pump as it sped off. The deputy advised another nearby deputy of the vehicle’s suspicious activity.
A short time later the vehicle was pulled over at the entrance of the I-65 68-mile marker. During the stop, deputies detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.
After deputies requested the occupants to exit the vehicle, the driver, identified as Lazerick Smythe, 23, Calumet Park, Illinois, put the vehicle I gear and fled the scene. A pursuit began and as the suspect vehicle neared the 90-mile marker, a Johnson County Deputy Sheriff deployed a tire deflation device that flattened the suspect vehicle’s front tires. The vehicle came to a stop near the 91.8 mm. The occupants were taken into custody without further incident.
Lazerick Smythe was arrested on allegations of Resisting Law Enforcement with a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Driving, and Possession of Marijuana. A passenger in the vehicle, Davell Jackson, 25, of Chicago, was arrested and charged on allegations of Resisting Law Enforcement, Possession of Marijuana, False Informing, and a felony warrant from Lake County.
