A Dawn-Euphemia Township man is facing several charges after a police chase that started in downtown Chatham Sunday morning.
Chatham-Kent police said an officer on general patrol initiated the chase after seeing a yellow cube van speed through a red light at the intersection of King Street and Fifth Street in Chatham at around 8 a.m. Sunday.
Police said the officer tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver kept going. The chase was called off temporarily for safety reasons, but officers continued to receive tips from the public about the van speeding through residential areas in the city.
Police re-started their pursuit a short time later and tried to stop the van as it went down an alleyway and through a parking lot. The driver then intentionally hit a police cruiser, causing damage to the passenger side doors, before getting out of the van and taking off on foot.
Officers were able to catch up to the driver after a short chase and eventually took him into custody, despite his efforts to resist arrest.
Police said their investigation showed that the van was stolen from LaSalle and that the man was banned from driving.
A 29-year-old Dawn-Euphemia Township man is now charged with three counts each of dangerous driving and driving while disqualified, along with one count each of flight from police, resisting arrest, theft of a motor vehicle, and possession of stolen property.
He was set to be held in custody pending a bail hearing.
