Affidavit: Casper Man Told Police He’d Show Them ‘What It’s Like to Leave Level 1′ Before Car Chase
A Casper man is behind bars after allegedly trying to run another vehicle off the road and leading police on a chase late Monday.
James M. Baker was arrested on recommended charges of reckless driving, interference with a peace officer and eluding peace officers.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, police received a report at roughly 10:30 p.m. Monday that a white passenger vehicle had been driving into traffic on Wolcott without its headlights on. A witness flagged a police officer down and told the officer that he'd tried to make the white vehicle's driver aware that his headlights were off, and the other driver swerved at him.
Not long after, an officer saw the suspect vehicle traveling northbound near 10th and Wolcott in the southbound lane. Other vehicles were forced to swerve out of the way.
As the officer got closer to the vehicle, the driver nearly backed into the patrol car, so the officer had to back away, according to the affidavit.
The vehicle came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the roadway. The affidavit states a man, later identified as Baker, got out of the vehicle.
According to the affidavit, the officer drew his gun and ordered Baker to show his hands.
Baker then allegedly told the officer, "I'm going to show you what it's like to leave level one," while refusing to show his hands. Then he got in his vehicle and sped away, the affidavit states.
After a brief chase, officers lost sight of Baker's vehicle.
Roughly five minutes later, police received a report of a man standing in the middle of the road yelling and waving his arms. By the time they got there, the man was gone, according to the affidavit.
But police ran the license plates on the vehicle and were able to trace it back to Baker. He was arrested early the next morning, according to the affidavit.
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