Repeat offender facing multiple charges following MCSO pursuit

Ray Van Dusen, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo
·2 min read

Oct. 15—BECKER — An Oct. 12 pursuit involving the Monroe County Sheriff's Office led to multiple charges for a repeat offender with a criminal history of stolen property and narcotics.

According to an MCSO press release, Chris Mitchem, 39, led deputies on a pursuit through Becker that endangered several lives. It began on Puckett Drive in Amory when deputies attempted to stop and arrest Mitchem on a grand larceny warrant.

He fled in a white Toyota truck and turned south on Highway 125, where he rammed a deputy's patrol unit who was attempting to get in front of him to warn oncoming traffic and slow him down.

According to the press release, Mitchem eventually turned off onto Scribner Lake Road, and the pursuit ended five miles later when his vehicle was no longer drivable. He was taken into custody without incident.

Mitchem has several felonies already on his record, according to the press release. Following the pursuit, new charges are aggravated assault on a police officer, felony fleeing of a law enforcement officer in a motor vehicle, felony malicious mischief, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and possession of a controlled substance — methamphetamine.

"It really is amazing that this individual was still out causing the problems that he was in Monroe County. His name has come up in ongoing investigations of theft and sale of narcotics from Gattman to Chickasaw County over the last several months. We just arrested him in March for possession of stolen property and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute," said Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook in the press release.

He added Mitchem is on probation with the Mississippi Department of Corrections and was out on bond from the charges in March. The MCSO is currently working on other investigations where he is the suspect.

Crook noted in the press release hopes Mitchem will be held without bond or that his other bond will be revoked.

"I am just glad that no one was hurt during this incident. Our deputies did a great job of keeping their cool and protecting other drivers while getting this guy off the highway before someone was hit head on.

"Every time we hear of an individual stating that he is not going back to jail, the threat level on arrest is heightened. We do our best to encounter these individuals in the safest place possible but we can't control that, nor can we predict what they are going to do or whose lives they will endanger," Crook said.