East Chicago man flees after hitting police car, injuring trooper, Indiana police say
CHICAGO (CBS) – An East Chicago man is facing multiple charges after he allegedly hit an Indiana State Police squad car, injured a trooper, and fled from the scene last month.
After officers later found and impounded his car, the man tried to report it stolen.
On March 7 around 11:30 p.m., Indiana State Police Trooper Kevin Council was helping direct traffic on Cline Avenue near the bridge over the Grand Calumet River. His squad car was parked in the left line with the emergency lights on because of an earlier crash that other officers were investigating.
An SUV rear-ended Council's car then revved the engine and fled the scene at a high rate of speed. Council was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
An East Chicago police officer later found the suspect car, a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox, parked in the 3200 block of Regent Street in East Chicago. The car had significant damage, including multiple flat tires, deployed airbags, and open alcoholic beverage containers that could be seen inside, police said.
Officers then impounded the car.
On March 8, Joel A. Barrera contacted East Chicago police and tried to report that his car had been stolen from his girlfriend's home in the 3700 block of Euclid Ave. in East Chicago. He described the car as a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox, the same car that had been recovered from in front of his own residence, according to police.
Police were granted a search warrant, and police were allowed to collect DNA from Barrera. When officers tried to serve the DNA search warrant, Barrera refused to cooperate.
Police then filed several charges against Barrera including criminal recklessness, leaving the scene of an accident causing injury, resisting law enforcement, and obstruction of justice.