Casper, Wyoming — Casper police say a man knowingly bought a stolen vehicle and filed charges through the West Casper District when police tried to stop him last week.
George Jackson, 25, was indicted in circuit court on Wednesday, Dec. 21, for grand theft, fugitive driving, reckless driving, obstruction, and possession of fentanyl. His bond was set at $40,000 in cash or guarantor. Jackson is presumed innocent until proven guilty or confesses.
Police say they saw a black Dodge pickup with Colorado plates on it several times in the past few weeks and fled trying to stop it, according to an affidavit.
At approximately 8:09 pm on Tuesday, December 20, officers stationed in an alley near Coulter Drive in West Casper saw the same truck pull down the road and into an alley. Officers examined the license plate but did not return to the registered vehicle.
Officers set up perimeters at both ends of the alley and positioned patrol cars in front of overhead lights that the suspect had activated. According to the affidavit, the suspect then began driving backwards down an alley and crashed into a parked car and a trash can.
The affidavit said the suspect's car managed to turn in an alleyway and rammed head-on into another police car, nearly crashing into it. Police said the vehicle then ran over a city power pole, slammed into a concrete block and embarked on a bike path that wound through the neighborhood parallel to the fairgrounds.
The truck eventually got stuck in a snowdrift and the suspect fled on foot. Officers found the suspect (later identified as Jackson) on Kearny and Fremont streets and arrested him.
The vehicle's VIN revealed it had been reported stolen in Natrona County, police said.
Jackson reportedly told police that he bought the car for $200 from "Bam," a known alias for fugitive Joshua Crook, who was arrested days earlier. Officers also found a suspected amount of fentanyl in a vial that Jackson was carrying. Officers also found a 20-gauge shotgun and artillery shells in the vehicle.