A 27-year-old Bellevue man is in jail on various charges after a reported shooting and a chase across counties Thursday night.
At about 11 p.m. Thursday, Battle Creek Police officers responded to the area of North Bedford Road and West Michigan Avenue for a reported assault with a gun and vehicle.
The victim, a 47-year-old Battle Creek man, told police that he and the Bellevue man had an argument about a woman they both know. The victim reported that the suspect rammed his vehicle, causing it to enter a parking lot off West Michigan. Once in the parking lot, the suspect drove up to him, and the victim reported hearing a single gunshot. The victim was not hit, and called police on his way to a nearby gas station.
A responding police sergeant found the suspect in his vehicle behind the gas station, and the suspect drove out of the parking lot. Police chased the suspect north into Barry County, then east into Eaton County, spanning 33 miles in 35 minutes, with speeds reaching 90 mph.
The suspect turned back into Barry County and drove into a cornfield in the 10000 block of Butler Road, where his vehicle stopped working. He fled on foot into a wooded area. The police sergeant found him trying to hide in a creek, and took him into custody. He found methamphetamine in the suspect’s pants.
Officers took the Bellevue man to Bronson Battle Creek Hospital for a medical check, before taking him to the Calhoun County Jail.
Police will submit charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, fleeing and eluding, resisting and obstructing, and possession of methamphetamine.
The Calhoun, Barry, and Eaton County Sheriff’s Departments assisted Battle Creek Police.