The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Man faces several charges after chase
Fleming arraigned last week on felony domestic violence
By Austen Smith, Editor
PUBLISHED: January 17, 2008
What should have been a routine traffic stop during the early hours of Jan. 6 turned into a high speed pursuit of a suspect wanted on felony drug charges, aggravated domestic assault and other charges.
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Ypsilanti Township's Steven Fleming, 24, was arraigned on an outstanding warrant for felony domestic violence Jan. 10 in Washtenaw 14 A-1 Court. He was granted a $10,000 or surety bond and will face a preliminary trial Wednesday.
The felony domestic violence charge is just one of several outstanding warrants Fleming faces in addition to new charges as a result of last week's pursuit. Fleming also will face felony drug charges stemming from a Sept. 2007 traffic stop in which officers found cocaine and ecstacy, and felony weapons charges stemming from a stolen firearm found in Fleming's home. The firearms case originated out of Sumpter Township.
A Van Buren traffic services officer sitting in the highway median observed Fleming slouched against his driver's side door and not wearing his seat belt as he headed eastbound on I-94 just past the Belleville Road exit. Before a traffic stop could be conducted, Fleming accelerated the vehicle leading officers on a pursuit where speeds reached more than 100 mph.
Capt. Greg Laurain with VBT police, said once they broadcast the vehicle description, the driver was quickly identified by state police from the Ypsilanti post. Laurain said at that point, they decided to break off the chase right around Wayne Road and I-94 where the suspect exited the highway.
"He got off on Wayne and we lost him, but then state police picked him again but they eventually broke off their chase too," he said.
Trooper Pascoe from the Ypsilanti Post said they decided to break off the chase because they knew who the suspect was and they knew where he lived.
"Continuing on the high speed pursuit would have been very dangerous," he said. "Since they knew who he was, and for safety reasons, the sergeant at the Mitchell South state police post broke off the chase."
Over the following days, troopers staked out the home of the suspect. On Jan. 9, troopers located the suspect's vehicle in the driveway of the residence and determined that he was inside.
Pascoe said that this strategy doesn't always work, but with this case it worked out well as Fleming was brought into custody without incident.
Troopers attempted to make Fleming come out of the home but he refused. They eventually entered the home and found Fleming hiding underneath an old bathtub near the rear of the building.
During the troopers' raid on the residence, they observed several illegal items, including the stolen firearm reported out of Sumpter just days earlier and several other weapons, in addition to drug paraphernalia and marijuana seemingly packaged for transport.
Pascoe said all law enforcement involved in the chase and eventual arrest did a really great job.
"This isn't an exact science, but in this case everything went well and we did it the right way because we were able to bring him on our terms," Pascoe said.
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