Alabama man arrested after chase in pickup, front-end loader and feet

IMPERIAL, Neb. — An Alabama man ran from Chase County law enforcement officers last week in his own pickup, in a front-end loader and on foot. He was finally apprehended as he tried to steal a Nebraska State Patrol vehicle.

The Imperial Republican and Wauneta Breeze report that James Page Todd, 22, of Dothan, Ala., faces multiple charges after the chase through Chase and Hayes counties on Thursday, May 25.

Todd is back in Alabama after posting 10 percent of bonds of $10,000 in Chase County and $100,000 in Hayes County.

The incident began with reports that someone was trying to break into a rural Champion residence and then steal tires at a shop in the Enders area. The suspect in both instances matched the description of a man wearing a large cowboy hat and driving a white Ford F150 4-door pickup without a front license plate.

Chase County Deputy Justin Mueller contacted the individual at a Wauneta convenience store and asked him to step out of the pickup. While Mueller was checking the suspect’s record, the man ran back to his pickup and drove away.

Mueller called for assistance and pursued Todd east into Hayes County, where Todd drove through several fences and fields before heading back west.

East of Wauneta, Todd turned south off of Highway 6 and drove through more fences before coming to a stop at the top of the creek bed and fleeing on foot. Mueller and a witness at a nearby residence both thought they heard a gunshot.

A search of the suspect’s abandoned pickup turned up two loaded pistols.

Officers searched the creek bottom until Chief Deputy Mike Dukes was approached by a farmer who said he thought the suspect had stolen a front end loader and was driving it east on Highway 6.

Dukes located the front-end loader driven by the male suspect who refused to stop. The suspect jumped from the loader and ran away on foot. The loader came to a stop after rolling into the road ditch.

After assistance arrived from the Nebraska State Patrol, officers searched the area where the man jumped out of the loader.

They flushed him out of his hiding spot, and running away, he then tried to steal the State Patrol vehicle. Officers apprehended Todd without further incident.

Todd is charged with:

In Chase County: Felony flight to avoid arrest, possession of a contrail substance without a prescription, willful reckless driving, stop sign violations, speeding (100 mph in a 60 mph zone), attempted burglary and theft.

In Hayes County: Theft by unlawful taking, operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, possession of a firearm while committing a felony, resisting arrest and willful reckless driving.