An Indianapolis man faces charges after police say he attempted to drive off with an officer in his car and led Greenwood police on a chase that ended in a crash.
Tyler Davis, 23, also attempted to strangle a K9 officer during the incident, police said.
He’s charged with felony counts of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, pointing a firearm, unlawful carrying of a handgun and auto theft. He also faces misdemeanor counts of resisting law enforcement and striking a law enforcement animal, according to court records.
The May 29 incident started with an argument between Davis and a female acquaintance at the Beech Grove Walmart. They left and went to a residence. The woman got into her car and said Davis pressed a gun against her neck and chin area, telling her, “Stop playing. Stop playing. Let’s go,” according to court documents.
She got back into a vehicle with Davis. Someone reported the incident to police, who found the Chevrolet Tahoe Davis was riding in at the Circle K located at 800 N US 31 in Greenwood.
Davis was in the SUV with the woman and another man. The other two got out of the vehicle, while Davis remained in the front passenger’s seat. Police attempted to pull him out of the vehicle, but Davis refused to get out, “ripped his arm away” and jumped into the driver’s seat. He then put the SUV into drive.
The police report details a chaotic back-and-forth involving Davis and Greenwood police officers as they struggled over control of the gear shifter. Officers placed the vehicle in park while Davis kept trying to put it back into drive, according to court documents. He started to drive away with two officers still in the vehicle. Officers struck him in the side in a vain attempt to get him to stop.
One of the officers exited the SUV before Davis sped up. A second officer held on to the steering wheel to keep himself from falling out of the vehicle. The struggle over the shifter continued, and the second officer eventually got out of the vehicle without injury after putting the SUV in park.
Davis, however, put the vehicle back in drive and took off, according to court documents.
The Tahoe turned south onto U.S. 31 and then went east on Fry Road, with officers pursuing. He drove at “extremely high rates of speed,” police said, turning northbound onto Madison Avenue. He continued on Madison Avenue until he turned onto Banta Road.
There, police said, he drove through a front yard, lost control of the Tahoe and flipped over, bringing an end to the vehicle pursuit. Davis, shirtless and wearing red basketball shorts, ran past several houses after crossing the street to Cardinal Drive.
A K9 handler and his partner then arrived and tracked Davis to yard where he attempted to hide. He ignored orders to show police his hands and come out; the handler released his K9 partner. Not long after that, the dog made “noises as if he was actively biting” Davis. Soon, it sounded like the dog was struggling and officers, guns drawn, saw the dog biting Davis in the arm. Davis was also lying on the dog’s neck “as to strangle him,” police said.
Davis eventually complied with orders to remove himself from the dog, allowing police to place him in handcuffs. His arm was bleeding from a dog bite; officers later learned the K9 had also bitten him in the groin. Davis was taken to Eskenazi Hospital for treatment.
A search of the Tahoe turned up a handgun.
During interviews, the woman told police Davis tried to get away because he had active warrants. The other man who’d been in the SUV with Davis told police he wanted to press charges regarding the stolen SUV, although he said he didn’t see Davis point the gun at the woman.
After getting treated for his injuries, Davis was taken to the Johnson County Jail. According to court records, he had a previous arrest warrant in Marion County for armed robbery. He also has a separate warrant from Shelby County and a suspended license, according to court records.
