Man in stolen van leads EPD on chase, requires K9 to apprehend Friday morning

ELKHART, Ind. -- The Elkhart Police Department has a male suspect in custody after he allegedly stole a vehicle and led authorities on a chase that ended on an off-ramp exit for the Indiana Toll Road.

Around 11:53 p.m. on Dec. 26, an EPD officer identified a van that was reported stolen out of Wisconsin and began pursuit in the area of Cassopolis Street and E Bristol Street in Elkhart.

"The van driver disregarded EPD vehicle emergency lights and sirens and continued to actively flee from the originating officer, as other EPD officers joined the pursuit," EPD said. "Shortly after midnight, the fleeing van entered the Indiana Toll Road traveling eastbound. The pursuit ended with the vehicle stopping at the Middlebury off-ramp exit 107 on the Toll Road at approximately 12:10 a.m."

That is when authorities say the suspect barricaded himself in the van and refused to come out.

"Officers deployed chemical irritants inside the vehicle without success," EPD said. "The Elkhart County Regional SWAT team was activated to assist and also deployed gas inside the vehicle with no success."

Around 5:30 a.m., SWAT extracted the driver with the help of a K9 officer.

The male suspect was the only person in the van and transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment.

No other injuries were reported.