A casino heist of some sort was punctuated by a high speed chase and crash near Benton Harbor last night leading to the arrest of a Florida man who is now being held in the Berrien County Jail.
Michigan State Police say they got word of a thief hitting the FireKeepers Casino near Battle Creek when Kalamazoo County dispatchers issued an all points bulletin around 7:30 last night to be on the lookout for the man responsible. Their own deputies managed to find the vehicle involved in the case and tried to pull the driver over in a traffic stop.
The driver was unwilling to cooperate, however, refusing to stop even after several unsuccessful attempts to immobilize his vehicle using Stop Sticks to puncture his tires. Kalamazoo County Deputies elected to terminate their pursuit at the 72 mile marker of Westbound I-94.
A short time after the chase was given up, a Michigan State Police Trooper from the Paw Paw Post saw the driver pass a westbound semi tractor trailer on the right shoulder of the freeway and picked up the pursuit anew. The trooper tried to make a traffic stop for reckless driving and the chase was on again. The 33-year old man from Tampa, Florida continued to evade arrest and continued westbound on I-94 through Van Buren and into Berrien County. He eventually lost control of his car at the 32-mile marker, between the I-94 Business Loop of Main Street in Benton Harbor and the Napier Avenue exit.
The car crashed into the cable media barrier, finally ending the chase, however he jumped from the car and tried to escape on foot. A short chase ensued and the man was eventually taken into custody in the ditch on the eastbound side the interstate. He was taken to Lakeland Hospital in St. Joe for evaluation and later lodged in the Berrien County Jail.
He awaits arraignment on charges of fleeing & eluding, driving while his license was suspended and resisting and obstructing police.
There was no immediate indication of the severity of his charge of larceny at the FireKeepers Casino or how much he had stolen from the casino or patrons at that scene.
