Man steals car, strikes police SUV before being arrested

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

A Greencastle man was arrested early Saturday morning after stealing a car and fleeing police, damaging a Putnam County Sheriff's Department car in the process.

At about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Putnam County Dispatch notified officers that a car belonging to Rick Parrish of Greencastle had been stolen from the parking lot of Marvin's restaurant on South College Avenue.

A man had reportedly entered the unlocked, running vehicle and made off with it.

Deputies located the 2004 Acura TL on Bloomington Street just north of Veterans Highway, where Deputy Virgil Lanning attempted to make a traffic stop.

The driver of the stolen car, 51-year-old Dale Scott McKnight, tried to elude Lanning by driving over the raised concrete median. However, he found himself unable to proceed due to an embankment on the east side of the road.

At this point, McKnight backed into the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe Lanning was driving, causing approximately $1,001-$2,500 in damaging, before fleeing at a high rate of speed.

Lanning continued his pursuit of the stolen vehicle until McKnight crashed into a yard on Seminary Street at Arlington Street.

Other agencies assisting with the investigation included the Greencastle Police Department, DePauw Public Safety and Greencastle Street Department.

McKnight was arrested and lodged at the Putnam County Jail at 2:10 a.m. on charges of auto theft, resisting law enforcement, operating without a license, operating while intoxicated with endangerment and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.

According to the Indiana Department of Correction database, McKnight was released from prison earlier this month after serving a sentence for three Level 6 felony counts of auto theft-receiving stolen auto parts.

McKnight has a long list of felonies dating back more than 20 years, including burglary and drug convictions.

On Monday, the Putnam County Prosecutor's Office filed official charges against McKnight in Putnam Circuit Court, which included Level 6 felony auto theft, Level 5 felony resisting law enforcement, Class C misdemeanor operating a vehicle while intoxicated and Class C misdemeanor operating a vehicle with a BAC of .08 or more.

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