Monday, June 2nd, 2008
Local sheriff and police's trained dogs make a collar
By Margie Wuebker
A Butler County man remains incarcerated awaiting grand jury action after he and a passenger ran afoul of Mercer County's two K-9 units.
Joshua Evans, 24, of Hamilton, waived his right to a preliminary hearing during a Friday morning appearance in Celina Municipal Court. He faces felony counts of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs of abuse and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer. He also faces misdemeanor charges of speeding, failure to stop at a stop sign and three counts of driving under suspension.
At 11:47 p.m. May 22, Mercer County Sheriff's Deputy Chad Fortkamp clocked Evans driving 71 miles per hour along U.S. 127 south of Celina. Fortkamp reportedly activated the cruiser's emergency flashers and Evans allegedly accelerated before turning east on Monroe Road and running a stop sign at the West Bank Road intersection. Other units responded to the scene at the deputy's request.
The unidentified passenger ran from the vehicle while Evans remained behind the wheel. Fortkamp focused on the fleeing man and warned he had a dog. The man nonchalantly demanded to see the dog and the deputy complied pushing a door release button on his belt. Bleck, who joined the sheriff's office last month, hopped out ready for action.
The man quickly surrendered while Evans took advantage of the distraction to run toward a wooded area. Celina police officer Dan Harting arrived with his K-9 unit Nick and it was not long until the dog had Evans cornered near a motorhome.
Evans was taken to the Celina Police Department where he reportedly tested .154 blood-alcohol content, nearly double the .08 limit. The passenger was not charged.
The Hamilton man remains incarcerated on a $50,000 bond. Court records indicate he has pleaded to or been convicted of at least five prior OVI offenses.
