THPD: Armed juvenile fleeing officers had stolen rifle

ICN file photo

An armed juvenile suspect was apprehended Sunday afternoon, after leading Terre Haute Police Department officers on a foot chase on the south side of the city.

A rifle the juvenile had been in possession of at the time had been altered to remove a portion of the stock, Chief Shawn Keen explained today, adding that the gun was reported stolen in a recent burglary. The juvenile was also in possession of ammunition. 

Officers responded to a report of a male subject with a weapon in the area of South Ninth and Cruft Streets around 3:15 p.m.  The suspect was ultimately found hiding under a porch of a residence at 919 S. 10th St. He was taken into custody and transported to the Vigo County Juvenile Center, where charges are pending at this time.

Keen said the suspect disregarded commands to stop.  

The pursuit began when responding officers initially made contact with the black male suspect, described as wearing all black attire with a white mask on his head. The suspect immediately fled south from officers from Crawford Street, just east of Ninth Street.

"As he was running, an officer observed a long gun down the back of his pants.  As the male came to a fence, he drew the rifle from his pants and turned back toward the pursuing officer.  The officer reported observing the male then throw the gun over the fence and proceed over the fence himself," Keen said.

 A second officer began chasing the suspect as he reportedly continued running southwest toward 10th Street before he was taken into custody.