A suspect, wanted for a possible carjacking out of Nashville, lead Baxter Police, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Putnam County deputies of a chase last week, that ended up in Smithville. DeKalb County Sheriff’s deputies and Smithville Police worked to disable the car and take the suspects into custody.
The incident happened last Thursday at 12:04 p.m., when the chase lead authorities down Interstate 40 to Cookeville Highway, towards Smithville. With the possibly armed suspect refusing to stop, deputies and officers placed tire deflation devices in three different locations along the route near the city limits.
The details were laid out in a press release by DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray. “DeKalb County Dispatch received a call from Cookeville Tennessee Highway Patrol, where Baxter Police Department was in pursuit of a stolen vehicle out of Davidson County, and the driver was supposedly armed. The Putnam County Sheriff's Department also entered the pursuit on I-40 in Putnam County.”
“The suspect was able to maneuver around one of the deflation devices, but the Sheriff's Department deputies were able to use another tire deflation device to disable the vehicle, causing the suspect to stop. Officers were able to take the driver into custody, along with three other occupants in the vehicle.”
The Baxter Police Department has charged 18-year-old Deyton Farless with driving without a license, theft of property, evading arrest, and reckless endangerment.
Sheriff Patrick Ray and Smithville Police Chief Mark Collins said the tire deflation devices that were purchased this last year has been a great asset to their departments. “Having the tire deflation devices does not only protect taxpayers' departmental vehicles and property, but more importantly, the life of an innocent person, the officer, or the suspect.”