Man arrested after high speed chase, standoff with police
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BLACKFOOT — A 27-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly fled from police and led them on a high-speed chase, then had a 30-minute standoff with them.
Tyler Garcia was arrested for felony eluding a police officer with an added enhancement of persistent violator.
According to a news release from the Blackfoot Police Department, on Monday night, the Blackfoot-Bingham County Joint Detective Division was investigating a possible narcotics violation inside the city limits of Blackfoot. Around 5:30 p.m., an officer tried to stop a 2005 Gold Ford Taurus in relation to the suspected narcotics violation.
The driver, later identified as Garcia, fled from officers and traveled south on U.S. Highway 91, going over 90 miles per hour.
After a lengthy pursuit, Garcia stopped near Sheepskin Road and Hawthorne Road intersection.
A passenger exited the vehicle and complied with law enforcement commands. Garcia remained in the vehicle.
Garcia made statements about being armed and suicidal, according to police. Law enforcement contacted him via cellphone. After a 30-minute standoff, Garcia exited the vehicle and was taken into custody.
He became unresponsive and was suspected of ingesting a large amount of narcotics, the release said. Naloxone was administered to reverse any effects of opioids.
He was transported to the Portneuf Medical Center, where he was later medically cleared and booked into the Bingham County Jail.
“The Blackfoot Police Department would like to thank the Fort Hall Police Department, Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho State Police for assisting in this vehicle pursuit,” the release said.
The investigation is still ongoing and police expect there will be more charges filed against Garcia. The passenger has not been charged with any crimes.