Local man facing felonies following high-speed chase ending with unlawful entry
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POCATELLO — A man who led police on a high-speed chase through Pocatello before attempting to escape by entering a home without permission has been charged with multiple felonies.
Levi James Shoemaker, 42, faces charges of eluding an officer, unlawful entry, possession of methamphetamine and possession of fentanyl, court records show.
Court records show a Pocatello police officer was patrolling the 1000 block of North 7th Avenue around 6 p.m. Saturday. He observed a red 1997 Ford F-150 tied to a recent theft, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
The officer initiated a traffic stop on the Ford, but the truck instead sped away.
According to the affidavit, the Ford was “traveling recklessly” at a high rate of speed, at one point turning through a parking lot on 8th Avenue. The pursuing officer kept a safe distance while following the Ford, which turned east on Walnut Street.
The officer searched the area and found the Ford abandoned in an alley near the 400 block of Willard Avenue. A witness told the officers they saw two men exit the Ford and run.
Additional officers arrived to search the area for the two men.
Officers learned the truck was registered to Shoemaker. After finding a photo of Shoemaker, the initial officer confirmed him to be the driver of the truck during the chase.
While searching the area, officers saw Shoemaker leaving a home on the 300 block of Washington Avenue. A resident of the house followed Shoemaker out and yelled to officers that he had entered the home without permission, the affidavit says.
Shoemaker again made a run for it.
The officers chased him down and tackled him near the residence he had just exited.
As officers were attempting to restrain him, Shoemaker allegedly dropped a yellow container. Officers saw two blue pills fall from the container as Shoemaker dropped, the affidavit says. The officers identified the pills as suspected fentanyl dirty 30s.
Shoemaker admitted to the officers that he was the driver during the chase, according to the affidavit. Additionally, he said he did enter the home without permission and was in possession of fentanyl pills.
Shoemaker was taken to Portneuf Medical Center to be cleared by medical staff before he was taken to Bannock County Jail to be booked.
He is currently being held on a $25,000 bond.
Though Shoemaker has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
If he is found guilty, Shoemaker could face up to 24 years in prison.
He. is scheduled to appear in court before magistrate judge Carol Tippi Jarman for a preliminary hearing on May 15.