Press Release

GARRETT — The Indiana State Police, assisted by multiple local and county law enforcement agencies, arrested a Fort Wayne man on Friday, July 19, after a lengthy vehicle pursuit that began in DeKalb County and ended in Noble County.

The pursuit resulted in a crashed patrol car and multiple criminal charges for the suspect.

The incident began around 9:30 p.m. Friday, July 19, when a state trooper attempted to stop Dusty E. Dawkins, 43, Fort Wayne, on SR 327 near Warfield Street in Garrett. Dawkins was driving his 2016 Honda Civic passenger car without any tail lights. The trooper turned on his emergency lights and siren to initiate a traffic stop.

Dawkins did not pull over; rather, he continued south on SR 327 to CR 56. He disregarded a “road closed” sign and headed east on CR 56. A brief traffic stop occurred near an area of construction blockage, and then Dawkins made a U-turn and fled north on SR 327 back toward Garrett.

A second trooper became involved in the pursuit, and his patrol car was crashed into by Dawkins’ vehicle on SR 327, south of Garrett. Stop sticks were successfully deployed, striking two tires on the Honda, but Dawkins continued driving north on SR 327 through Garrett and then west on SR 8 toward Noble County. As the pursuit entered Noble County, local and county officers assisting with de-escalating the pursuit successfully deployed stop sticks two more times prior to the pursuit entering into the town of Avilla.

Near the intersection of CR 100N near CR 900E, the same trooper who had his patrol car crashed into early in the pursuit, would effectively initiate a series of Precision Immobilization Techniques maneuvers, which disabled the suspect vehicle down into a side ditch. Dawkins continued to refuse compliance with officers’ commands to exit the vehicle, but was eventually removed from the vehicle and taken into custody without further incident.

Dawkins was initially taken to the DeKalb Parkview Hospital for medical clearance. Once cleared for incarceration, he was then taken to the DeKalb County Jail and booked into custody on numerous preliminary criminal charges.

Dawkins is preliminarily charged with resisting law enforcement using a vehicle, three counts of resisting law enforcement resulting in injury, obstruction of justice, operating while intoxicated, and possession of cocaine, all level 6 felonies; operating with a controlled substance in the body, OWI – endangerment, and leaving the scene of an accident, all class A misdemeanors.

ISP was assisted during this pursuit and apprehension by the Noble County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department K9 team, Avilla Town Marshal’s Office, Kendallville Police Department, Parkview (Noble) EMS, and Avilla Motorworks Wrecker Service.