Columbus police arrested four people after a car chase early this morning. Police say that they discovered drugs inside the vehicle after it was stopped.
The situation unfolded at about 1:45 this morning, when police tried to stop a pickup truck at Ninth and Chestnut streets for a minor traffic violation, says Lt. Matt Harris, spokesman for the Columbus police. But rather than stop, the driver took off down 10th Street ane ventually stopped in the middle of Werner Avenue.
Police conducted a high-risk traffic stop and put all of the vehicle’s occupants in handcuffs. The driver, 21-year-old Tyler S. Houchens of Taylorsville was wanted on a warrant and admitted that he owned a glass smoking pipe with drug residue that was found inside the vehicle.
Houchens is facing charges of resisting law enforcement in a vehicle, operating a vehicle without a license, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a syringe and visiting a common nuisance.
Three passengers were arrested on preliminary charges including:
- 27-year-old Courtney P. Bullington of Columbus: Two Bartholomew County Warrants, Visiting a Common Nuisance
- 38-year-old Charles R. Barr of Columbus: Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Possession of a Syringe
- 30-year-old Whitney K. Watkins: Possession of Marijuana, Visiting a Common Nuisance
