By ZEINAB NAJM
Sunday Times Newspapers
TAYLOR — Calhoun County sheriff’s deputies arrested a 30-year-old Taylor man after he fled from police officers in Kalamazoo County Jan. 24.
About 9 p.m., sheriff’s deputies received information about the vehicle which was entering the county on I-94. Deputies located the vehicle on I-94 near Verona Road in Marshall Township.
According to information posted on Facebook by the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle was smoking heavily and appeared to have serious mechanical problems.
When a deputy initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop nearly causing a traffic crash with nearby vehicles.
Then, the driver of the vehicle exited and was argumentative with the deputy. The post said, the driver then reached into the vehicle, removed his 3-year-old son and began using him as a method of keeping deputies away from him.
Deputies attempted to verbally de-escalate the situation, but the driver became more agitated and began walking into oncoming traffic while still holding his child.
The man then crossed the median and began running into oncoming traffic once again.
“Fearing for the safety of the male and his child as well as the passing motorist, deputies deployed a Taser to subdue the subject,” the post read.
Deputies took driver into custody without further incident and the child was rescued without harm. A check of the driver’s record revealed he had 35 outstanding warrants.
He was transported to the Calhoun County Jail for resisting and obstructing an officer, child abuse and the warrants.
“Additional evidence was located that may link the driver to recent larcenies,” the post read. “That investigation is still ongoing.”
Officers in Kalamazoo County are also seeking charges for the initial incident that occurred within their county. The name of the driver was not released by press time.
The sheriff’s office was assisted by officers from the Marshall Police Department and Marshall firefighters ambulance.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])