Huntingdon, Tenn.—A Puryear man was arrested Friday outside of Huntingdon after an intensive manhunt through a cornfield involving the Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter.
The suspect, Jason Johnson, age 40, is alleged to have stolen a Jeep from Murray shortly before the chase began. He was transported to the Carroll County Jail and charged with felony evading arrest. Other charges are expected to be filed in Calloway County, Ky.
Huntingdon Public Safety Director Walter Smothers said Officer Labe Ezell was on patrol around 8 a.m. Friday when he observed a black Jeep traveling in the wrong lane on the Hwy. 22 bypass.
When Officer Ezell tried to stop the Jeep, the driver fled at a high rate of speed. Officer Ezell reported speeds of over 100 mph as the vehicle left the city limits heading west on Hwy. 70.
The suspect attempted to turn right on Flippin Lane in the Cedar Grove community, lost control, wrecking the vehicle. At that time, the suspect fled on foot into a large cornfield.
Smothers said a perimeter was quickly set up by officers of the Huntingdon Police Department, the THP and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. THP Officer and Pilot Lee Russell arrived with the THP helicopter to provide air support in the search for the suspect.
It was determined, Smothers said, that the Jeep had been stolen in Murray over the previous 12 hours.
Smothers said after several hours, the search efforts were suspended. At around 2 p.m. Friday, a resident of Terry Road reported that a man who was scratched up badly had just come up on their back porch.
Officers from the three agencies went to the residence and the subject, Jason Johnson, was taken into custody.
Photo: The stolen Jeep as it was towed from the scene. (Walter Smothers photo).
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