VAN BUREN COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A Southwest Michigan man is facing nearly a decade behind bars for leading deputies on a high-speed chase this winter.
After pleading guilty to multiple charges, 19-year-old Chase Porter was sentenced on Monday to between 18 months and 10 years for possessing a controlled substance and between 18 months and 5 years for fleeing a police officer. Both of those sentences will be served concurrently and Porter will get credit for 68 days already spent in jail.
He was arrested on February 5th for fleeing officers attempting a traffic stop, traveling through Hartford before ending up in Bangor Township.
Along the way Porter consistently tried to evade the officers, at one point turning into a corn field and driving through a horse pasture until he ended up crashing into a home. Upon losing control he ran into the home, which led to a police perimeter being laid around the house by responding departments.
Porter eventually agreed to surrender himself into custody. A 26-year-old woman in the driver’s seat was also taken into custody for attempting to resist police.
The Van Buren County Narcotics Unit conducted a search of the property with the permission of the homeowner, who knew the suspect. Investigators were able to seize several quantities of methamphetamine packaged in bags, as well as related drug paraphernalia.
Earlier in March Porter plead guilty to the two charges, and an additional resisting police officer charge was dropped by prosecutors.
