An man hit speeds as high as 100 mph as he fled from an officer after police say he stole items from a store then pulled a knife on an employee who tried to stop him outside the Greenwood Park Mall.
The pursuit lasted for miles through parts of central Indianapolis.
Samuel Gaskins, 26, of Indianapolis, was arrested on charges of robbery, theft, driving with a suspended license, marijuana possession, reckless driving, failing to stop after an accident and resisting law enforcement.
A loss prevention officer at the Macy’s store at the Greenwood Park Mall noticed Gaskins walk into a changing room with a jumpsuit and leave the changing room and walk outside the store without carrying it. The employee confronted Gaskins outside the store and asked him to come back inside, a Greenwood Police Department report said.
Gaskins instead drew a knife and lunged at the employee.
The employee feared for his life, raised his arms and backed away, and Gaskins ran to a vehicle and drove away from the mall on County Line Road, the report said.
Because Gaskins threatened the employee with a knife, that elevated the charge he was arrested on from theft to robbery, Greenwood Assistant Police Chief Matthew Fillenwarth said.
A police officer saw Gaskins’ car and turned on his emergency lights, the report said.
Gaskins continued to drive away from the officer, hitting speeds of 100 mph, passing through multiple red stop lights, failing to stop at stop signs and driving directly toward oncoming traffic, the report said.
The officer followed Gaskins on County Line Road, then onto Shelby Street and Finley Avenue. Gaskins drove on a series of roads before getting onto Interstate 70 and then Interstate 65. Gaskins exited I-65 at Washington Street and crashed into another vehicle near State Street, the report said.
Gaskins kept driving after the crash until coming to a stop a half-mile away on Walcott Street near Michigan Street, the report said.
The officer found a bag of marijuana in Gaskins’ jacket and a silver knife in the vehicle, the report said.
The jumpsuit, valued at $115, was found underneath Gaskins’ clothing at the jail, the report said.
Gaskins, 201 Shelby St., was arrested and taken to the Johnson County jail. He was held on $22,400 bond.
