Columbus man arrested after police pursuit in Amity

A Columbus man was arrested following a police pursuit in southern Johnson County Thursday evening.

Bruce L. Martin, 36, of Columbus, was arrested on charges of resisting law enforcement, a felony, and resisting law enforcement and operating without ever receiving a license, both misdemeanors. He was also arrested on two out-of-county warrants. The Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office will decide what, if any, charges to file.

A deputy from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office was patrolling near Amity at U.S. 31 and County Road 250 South when he observed a sedan driving southbound with a loud exhaust. The deputy did a routine license plate check, which showed the registration belonged to an SUV, and not a sedan, according to a Johnson County Sheriff’s Office report.

The deputy activated his emergency lights and attempted to stop the sedan near County Road 550 East and U.S 31. The vehicle turned onto CR 550 East before making an unsignaled right turn at Amity Community Volunteer Fire Department, the report says.

The deputy called backup and pursued the sedan. Martin drove the vehicle behind the building, before going down a hill and stopping near the wood line. Martin left the vehicle and fled on foot, according to the report.

Deputies, with assistance from a K-9, located Martin east of where he left the vehicle. The K-9 caught up with Martin and bit him, which concluded the pursuit, the report says.

Four passengers, including a one-year-old, were in the car and did not flee the scene. The passengers identified Martin as the driver, and said they were heading back to Columbus after a trip to Greenwood, the report says.

The passengers told the deputies they didn’t know why Martin ran, according to the report.

Martin was arrested and treated at a local hospital for the dog bite. While at the hospital, he told police he had used methamphetamine in the last 24 hours, the report says.

Deputies ran his name through state information systems and discovered he had two outstanding felony warrants, and that he had never had an Indiana driver’s license, the report says.

Martin was taken to the Johnson County jail, where he is held without bond due to the warrants. He is wanted in Bartholomew and Jennings counties on felony drug charges, online court records show.