After hitting a deputy with stolen car, Lexington man found hiding 35-feet up a tree, cops say
A Lexington man went to dangerous extremes Monday to avoid being arrested.
In spite of his efforts, Joseph Allen Tuten, was taken into custody in Georgia, but not before he hit a sheriff’s deputy with a stolen car, led law enforcement on a high-speed chase and was found, shirtless, hiding 35-feet up a tree, WSAV reported.
Law enforcement said Tuten is wanted in South Carolina, according to WALB, but no specific charges were listed.
The Lexington Police Department told The State it does not have any outstanding warrants for Tuten, but the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department has not confirmed if Tuten is wanted in its jurisdiction.
The S.C. resident is facing a slew of charges in Alma, Ga., after being arrested.
Bacon County Sheriff’s deputies received calls about a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of The Forks 1 & 23, a truck stop in Alma, per WTOC.
After deputies learned the vehicle had been stolen from South Carolina and approached, Tuten tried to escape “at a high rate of speed which caused (him) to strike an officer” with the vehicle, WJCL reported. The station identified the deputy as Nicole McElroy.
Other deputies, along with officers from the Alma Police Department and the Ware State Canine Unit, chased Tuten into a wooded area, where he was found about 35 feet above the ground hiding in a tree, WPDE reported.
Police said the 39-year-old Lexington man was arrested without incident, according to WSAV. Tuten was charged with “aggravated assault, theft by taking motor vehicle, felony fleeing, and eluding law enforcement along with multiple traffic citations,” according to the police.
The sheriff’s office reported the injured deputy was “severely bruised.” There were no more specifics on McElroy’s condition, but the sheriff’s office said she appreciated the “thoughts and prayers.”
In August, Tuten was arrested for stealing a water truck from a construction site a month earlier, according to the Lexington Police Department.
At that time, police reported bail was set at $31,087.50 for Tuten, who faced more charges from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
This story was originally published November 27, 2018 at 10:51 PM.
