PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — After evading law enforcement officers from two Middle Tennessee counties multiple times since late March, a man was finally arrested over the weekend.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), deputies tried to serve active arrest warrants against Zachery Kurpieski in the 1300 block of N. Dixie Avenue in Cookeville on March 30. However, he fled in a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Later that evening, a lieutenant with the PCSO Warrants Division spotted Kurpieski, but he was also unable to take the man into custody, authorities said.
Then, on March 31, a sergeant found Kurpieski’s unattended vehicle on Bunker Hill Road. The PCSO said video surveillance showed the Kurpieski leaving the area in a Ford Ranger with another person.
More than two months later, on Saturday, June 3, officials said members of the White County Sheriff’s Office tried to perform a traffic stop on White Oak Flatt Road, close to the Putnam County line. Kurpieski was identified in the vehicle, but he quickly ran away from the scene, escaping the White County deputies.
During the incident, Putnam County authorities said they responded to the incident and quickly started tracking Kurpieski with K9 Scooter. Deputies were also able to find property that had been reported stolen in Putnam County days earlier.
Later Saturday evening, the PCSO said a call came in about Kurpieski being seen outside of a home along White Oak Flatt Road, the same area where he was spotted earlier in the day.
When Putnam County deputies took Kurpieski into custody, they reportedly discovered he was in possession of a small amount of what appeared to be methamphetamine, along with other drug paraphernalia.
“I am extremely pleased with the effort, dedication, and persistence that our Deputies put in to getting Kurpieski arrested and in custody,” Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris stated.
According to officials, Kurpieski was charged with violating probation, aggravated kidnapping, evading arrest, simple possession, and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond has been set at $59,000 ahead of his court date, which is scheduled for Monday, June 12.