Three were arrested Friday evening after leading Muncie Police on a high-speed chase, which one of the passengers streamed live on Facebook.
Police were called around 4:45 p.m. Friday to Marathon Gas in the 900 block of East Main Street after a male said he was robbed by a group of men.
The male, who was injured in the incident, said he was putting air in his bicycle tires when he was beaten and robbed of his wallet and cellphone. A suspect later told police the robbery began after a drug deal “went wrong.”
Around 6 p.m., Muncie patrol officers spotted the suspects’ vehicle leaving an apartment complex on the city’s southside. When an officer attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver took off.
Rodney Matthew Brown, 21, of Muncie, was arrested and preliminarily charged with robbery resulting in injury, battery with moderate injury, resisting law enforcement by fleeing, resisting law enforcement by vehicle, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and criminal recklessness.
Eugene Alexander Petitt, 24, of Atlanta, was arrested and preliminarily charged with robbery resulting in injury, battery with moderate injury, resisting law enforcement by fleeing and possession of a handgun without a license.
JanMichael Vincent Lingo, 26, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was arrested and preliminarily charged with robbery resulting in injury and intimidation.
Brown, the driver, led police on the pursuit through several parts of the city, at times with the rental vehicle reaching speeds of 90 mph.
A passenger threw a handgun out of the vehicle as they passed a fast-food restaurant on South Madison Street.
At one point, a bystander attempted to stop the pursuit by throwing a bicycle at the fleeing vehicle, but was unsuccessful.
“The bicycle hurler gave a thumbs up and cheered on pursuing officers,” an investigator said in an affidavit.
The nearly 20-minute pursuit came to an end when the vehicle crashed into a fence near an apartment complex on North Elgin Street.
Brown attempted to run away, but was apprehended by a police K-9.
According to an affidavit, Lingo, who denied to give a statement to police and streamed the pursuit on Facebook live, told police he needed to leave because he was putting on a rap concert Friday evening.
Police found thousands of dollars, riffle and handgun magazines and electronics in the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
Contact Andrew Smith with comments at ajsmith15@bsu.edu or on Twitter @AndrewSmithNews.
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