An Indianapolis man wanted on multiple warrants was arrested following a pursuit that began with a traffic stop by a Thorntown officer early this morning, Dec. 18.
Reports were received this morning that around 6:40 a.m., a Thorntown Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop at North 500 West and West State Road 47 when the vehicle allegedly stopped briefly before fleeing southbound on U.S. 52 where the vehicle reached speeds over 125-miles-per-hour while weaving in and out of traffic.
Reports stated that the vehicle appeared to have taken the I-65 southbound interchange with numerous departments entering the pursuit. Officers reportedly attempted to deploy stop sticks, but traffic remained heavy. According to reports, the pursuit lasted approximately 14 miles as the vehicle took the 131 exit into Whitestown and proceeded south on 267.
The driver was identified as Juwan Ellis, 28, of Indianapolis, and he was reportedly taken into custody following a short foot pursuit around East 550 South. Ellis had three warrants out of Marion County and Ohio for numerous felony and misdemeanor charges. Ellis’ passenger was released on scene, authorities report.
Ellis may face additional charges of felony resisting law enforcement, misdemeanor resisting law enforcement, criminal recklessness and reckless driving.
According to court records, the warrants were for charges pending for carrying a handgun without a license in 2018, carrying a handgun without a license, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana from May 2020, and carrying a handgun without a license, resisting law enforcement with a vehicle and obstruction of justice from June 2021. All three cases are marked as “pending” with the last court document filed on Jan. 17 for a notice of substitution of counsel.
Ellis was also noted to have been a suspect in a double murder in 2014 in Indianapolis where Robert Young, 18, and Deonte Butler, 17, were murdered during a robbery. The case was opened on Feb. 11, 2015, with Ellis receiving charges of four counts of murder, one count of robbery and one count of carrying a handgun without a license. Following filed discovery, motions for continuance and pre-trial hearings, all counts were dismissed.