Pocatello man charged with multiple felonies following police chase near ISU campus
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POCATELLO — A man who allegedly attempted to flee police while driving the wrong way on a busy road faces multiple felonies.
Andrae Kenneth Griggs, 35, has been charged with eluding an officer and aggravated assault on an officer, court records show.
While on patrol near the Idaho State University campus around noon on Aug. 1, a Pocatello police detective responded to reports of a stolen vehicle being driven in the area, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The officer spotted the vehicle, a 1971 Ford F-250, being driven by a man wearing a black hat.
The driver, later identified as Griggs, looked at the detective as he turned from 5th Avenue onto Sublette Street. The driver then “accelerated rapidly until his tires lost traction, and the vehicle blew black smoke and exhaust,” the affidavit says.
The detective followed the pickup truck and requested marked police units to take over the pursuit.
During the pursuit, the detective noted that Griggs was not yielding to other vehicles and traveling into oncoming traffic on South 5th Avenue.
While the detective continued the pursuit, a police vehicle with activated emergency lights moved toward the path of the two vehicles. Griggs directed the Ford at the police vehicle while maintaining speed.
Due to the police vehicle being easily identifiable as such, the pursuing detective believed the action warranted an aggravated assault on an officer charge.
Officers continued to follow the Ford down 5th Avenue, maintaining a safe distance but using sirens to inform traffic of the truck traveling in the wrong direction down a one-way road.
Assisting Idaho State Police troopers successfully spike-stripped the truck near the Interstate 15 offramp on 5th Avenue.
Officers continued the pursuit as it turned into the I-15 offramp.
Though speeds during the pursuit topped out around 40 mph, officers requested a felony eluding charge due to Griggs driving toward oncoming traffic on one-way roads.
Several police vehicles were there to stop the Ford before it could get onto the southbound I-15 lanes heading north.
Griggs was arrested and taken to Bannock County Jail. He posted a $25,000 bond the following day and was released.
Officers were unable to confirm the truck as stolen because they were not able to access the truck’s VIN.
Though Griggs 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, Griggs could face up to 15 years in prison.
He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge David Cousin on Tuesday.