Jacob Dukes-Celey, 21, caught the attention of a Carroll County Sheriff's deputy on patrol when he was spotted driving a white sedan without a front registration plate on John Street in the area of West Main Street in Westminster.
After initially losing sight of him, the deputy tracked down Dukes-Celey turning Westbound onto West Main Street traveling towards Pennsylvania Avenue, investigators say, at which point he began speeding ahead before crashing into a stopped vehicle on Northbound Littlestown Pike at Wyndtryst Drive.
According to a spokesperson from the sheriff's office, after striking the vehicle, Dukes-Celey caromed into a guardrail.
The deputy was able to assist Dukes-Celey - who investigators noted was wearing a mask covering his face and a glove - out of the vehicle, though when Dukes-Celey reached toward his waistband, the deputy attempted to handcuff him, at which point he broke free and fled on foot to an open field near Wyndtryst Drive.
As he ran, the driver continued reaching towards his waistband and the deputy withdrew his TASER, according to the spokesperson. Dukes-Celey initially complied and went to the ground, but continued to keep his hands under his body and out of view.
The deputy ordered him to place his hands behind his back multiple times, but Dukes-Celey did not comply prompting him to deploy the weapon, "based on the driver’s resistance and concern that there may be a concealed weapon," and Dukes-Celey was taking into custody.
Further investigation determined that the Nissan Sentra Dukes-Celey had been reported stolen out of Howard County, and a Westminster Police Department K9 found suspected cocaine in the glove he was wearing when he broke free and fled.
He also did not have a valid driver's license.
Dukes-Celey was initially transported to Sinai Hospital for evaluation of minor injuries sustained in the crash. He was later released and charged with unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, CDS: possession of not cannabis, and multiple traffic offenses related to the crash and driving without a license.
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