A Claiborne Parish man discovered the hard way that the second time wasn’t a charm and he now faces a number of charges relating to his attempts to flee local police officers early Sunday morning.
Minden Chief of Police Steve Cropper said 27-year-old Jonathan Jamar Drake, who lives in the 2600 block of Old Athens Road in Homer, managed to elude officers shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday after he was stopped for reportedly driving erratically.
“Officers Christopher McClaran and Jeremy Sitter observed Drake traveling south in the northbound lane on Talton Street, saw him drive off the roadway and into the parking lot of a business, then reenter the roadway,” Cropper said. “The officers conducted a traffic stop, but he fled from them on foot.”
Later, at approximately 3:35 a.m., the officers were dispatched to the Shreveport Road to answer a report that Drake was again driving the same vehicle.
“The officers saw him on the Shreveport Road and attempted to make a traffic stop,” Cropper said. “The suspect stopped briefly, but began traveling in reverse directly toward one officer’s vehicle. He stopped before hitting the vehicle, then drove off the roadway and stopped.”
When officers approached his vehicle, Drake reportedly again attempted to flee, but was caught.
“The suspect began fighting the officers but he was eventually taken into custody with the help of a Webster Parish deputy who arrived to assist in the arrest,” Cropper said.
Officers reportedly smelled a strong odor of alcohol on Drake, but he refused both a standardized field sobriety test and chemical testing.
Cropper said Drake has been charged with two counts of reckless operation, two counts of resisting an officer by flight, two counts of driving under suspension, resisting arrest by force or violence and DWI-third offense.
Drake reportedly was booked into Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center.