Man arrested after fleeing
A Fredericktown man was arrested by state police Wednesday on charges including fleeing and eluding and possession of a controlled substance after he allegedly fled from troopers who stopped him during a regulatory checkpoint in Marianna.
William Henry Howes, 57, of 17 Howes Lane, was stopped just after 5 p.m. during the checkpoint on Beeson Street, where troopers were stopping vehicles and checking drivers to make sure they were properly licensed and that their vehicles were properly registered and insured.
Howes reportedly told a corporal he forgot his wallet and was then told to pull off to the side of the road. Police said Howes complied briefly before fleeing south on Beeson and then onto Main Street. Two troopers got into their cruisers and tried to catch up with Howes, who was driving a Chevrolet Blazer.
Howes reportedly passed several vehicles on Main while driving at a high speed. After troopers briefly lost sight of the vehicle, Howes was seen going behind a garage on Jefferson Avenue in an apparent attempt to hide, police said. As a trooper pulled into the driveway, police said Howes got out and fled on foot. As Howes ran on Meadow Avenue, he allegedly ran around a tree and then came toward a trooper with a shiny object in his hand. The trooper used his Taser on Howes, who fell to the ground and was taken into custody.
During a search, the trooper reportedly found Howes in possession of a black and silver smoking pipe and a small plastic bag containing marijuana. Police said he also smelled of burnt marijuana and alcohol. He was taken to Washington Hospital, where blood was drawn. While he was at the barracks, police said they found a small bag of crack in his pocket.
Howes was arraigned before District Judge Joshua Kanalis on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, crack and paraphernalia, fleeing and eluding police, resisting arrest, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, driving under suspension and traffic violations. He was placed in Washington County jail on $50,000 bond. Howes is scheduled for an April 4 preliminary hearing before District Judge Curtis Thompson.