NIAGARA FALLS – A State trooper who tried to stop the driver of 1999 Jaguar XJ8 for not wearing a seatbelt found himself in a high speed chase with the driver Monday.
The driver who was identified as Dempsey Freeman, 21, of Niagara Falls was arraigned Tuesday today in Niagara Falls City Court and bail was set at $2,000. A return court date was set for Aug. 4.
Freeman was spotted by a trooper on Hyde Park Boulevard. He refused to stop and led police on a high speed chase which ended at Ontario and Niagara avenues. Freeman then jumped out of the vehicle, jumped a fence and fled on foot. The trooper remained in close pursuit and saw Freeman run into a residence on Niagara Avenue. With the assistance of Town of Niagara Police, Freeman was found hiding in the attic and was taken into custody.
State Police were assisted by Niagara County sheriff’s deputies using their K-9 dog to secure the scene and found four grams of marijuana and 34 controlled substance pills in the vehicle.
Freeman was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, unlawful fleeing a police officer, resisting arrest, second-degree obstruction of governmental administration, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, reckless driving, having a prescription controlled substance over the maximum amount, unlawful possession of marijuana, and numerous citations, including no seatbelt.