Tased Alabama man dies in custody after 130-mph chase that continued with flat tires

Tim Chitwood
·2 min read
2

An Alabama man died in law enforcement custody Thursday after a miles-long police chase reaching speeds of 130 mph from Lee County into Phenix City, authorities said..

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office identified the deceased as 34-year-old Jeremy Jackson, of Opelika,who stopped breathing after he was Tased during his arrest. Officers gave Jackson cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the opioid reversal drug Narcan before an ambulance rushed him to Piedmont Columbus Regional, where doctors pronounced him dead, according to a news release.

According to Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, the chase started after a witness at 7:57 p.m. EST called 911 to report that a white sedan was weaving in and out of traffic as it traveled east on U.S. 280 near Lee Road 251, east of Salem.

Deputies caught up with the car in three minutes, and the driver sped away, initiating the pursuit into Phenix City, where he turned onto other roads such as U.S. 80 and Summerville Road, the sheriff said.

Phenix City police officers, Russell County deputies and state troopers joined the high-speed chase, employing spike strips to flatten the car’s tires as it reversed course, heading west on U.S. 280 back toward Opelika, authorities said.

Though the spikes punctured the tires on the highway at Lee Road 379, the driver kept going, reaching speeds up to 100 mph before coming to a stop at U.S. 280 and Lee Road 249, in Bleecker.

Jackson got out and resisted arrest, so officers used a Taser in “drive stun” mode to immobilize and handcuff him, the sheriff said. “Drive stun” mode means the Taser was pressed against the suspect’s body, not fired from a distance.

“Within a few seconds, officers noticed the driver was not breathing,” said the news release, and efforts to revive Jackson at the scene were unsuccessful.

Jones has asked the Opelika Police Department to lead the investigation into Jackson’s death as the body is sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for a postmortem exam.

The results of the investigation will be submitted to the Lee County district attorney for grand jury review, the sheriff said.