A truck driver is facing multiple felony charges after repeatedly attempting to ram his rig into patrol vehicles as they responded to an emergency unrelated to him.
The incident happened on Monday, November 2nd in Smith County, Mississippi beginning at about 8 p.m.
According to WLBT3, Smith County deputies were responding to an emergency call on Highway 37 when a truck driver heading the opposite direction tried to crash into them head-on in three separate attempts. An unrelated motorist was almost hit in the incident.
Some officers continued to the emergency call, while others attempted to pull the semi truck over. The truck driver, Columbus Taylor, refused to pull over, and led police on a 10 minute pursuit at speeds of up to 80 mph.
Taylor eventually pulled over along Highway 37 and ran into his home. He barricaded himself inside of the home, but left his wife and child outside. His wife and child aided police in communicating with Taylor, and he was eventually taken into custody without incident.
Taylor has been booked into the Smith County Jail. He is facing three counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement.
“There is absolutely no excuse for intentionally placing the lives of law enforcement officers in danger, especially while they are responding to an emergency to help someone in need,” the department said in a statement. “Our deputies put themselves in harm’s way every day to serve and protect our community.”
No serious injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
