Press Release

Sheldon Straessle

ROANOKE — A Roanoke man was recently arrested following a lengthy vehicle pursuit in multiple counties.

Around 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, Indiana State Police troopers from the Fort Wayne Post and officers from several agencies from Huntington, Allen, and Whitley Counties became involved in a pursuit of a 1995 Toyota pickup truck. The incident began after an officer with the Huntington County Sheriff’s Department attempted to stop the truck for an alleged traffic violation on US 24 near Roanoke.

The driver, who eventually would be identified as Sheldon Straessle, 25, Roanoke, allegedly refused to pull over and instead led officers into southwest Allen County via the areas of Homestead Road, Aboite Center Road, Illinois Road, and West County Line Road, before heading over into Whitley County along CR 900S and north on SR 9.

Officers initiated multiple stop stick deployments in Allen and Whitley Counties and were successful in deflating all four ties of the truck, effectively slowing the speed of the pursuit. But despite best efforts, the pickup truck continued driving north on SR 9 toward Columbia City, albeit at slower speeds and on bare rims.

On SR 9, just south of CR 200S, a state trooper initiated a Precision Immobilization Tactic maneuver and disabled the pickup truck into the west side ditch, which effectively ended the pursuit. Officers were then able to take Straessle into custody without further incident.

Straessle was transported for medical clearance at Parkview Whitley Hospital, then transported to the Whitley County Jail, where he was booked into custody for resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, and reckless driving.

ISP was the arresting agency. There is no further information to release.

ISP was assisted during this pursuit by the Huntington County Sheriff’s Department, Roanoke Town Marshal, Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County Police Department, Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia City Police Department, South Whitley Town Marshal, Parkview Whitley EMS, and Smith Brothers Towing.