High-speed pursuit in SE Austin; hits house

Published 11:10 am Wednesday, May 4, 2016

A man led Austin police on a high-speed chase early Wednesday morning in southeast Austin.

Officers were conducting a traffic stop on the 100 block of Oakland Place Southeast at about 1:24 a.m. because a vehicle did a double lane change and also had a headlight out, according to Police Chief Brian Krueger.

Officers approached the vehicle and the driver was revving the engine.

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The driver put the vehicle in drive and took off, turning southbound on 10th Drive Southeast.

Officers pursued the vehicle and then they turned westbound on Fifth Place Southeast and several other streets until finally turning onto Seventh Avenue Southeast, where he crashed into a house on the 500 block.

The suspect got out of the house and tried to run to another house, but officers caught up with him and told him to stop. The suspect did not comply and officers shocked him with a Taser, Krueger said.

Gold Cross Ambulance assisted at the scene because the suspect had a nose bleed and hurt his lip when he fell. He was eventually transported to Mower County Jail.

He is awaiting possible charges of felony fleeing in a motor vehicle, first-degree DWI, driving without a Minnesota license and driver with open bottle.

The house he hit sustained minor damage, Krueger said.