A LaPorte County police chase reportedly ended with officers using a “chemical agent” to get the driver out of his pickup truck. Sheriff’s deputies say it began just before 1:30 Wednesday morning, when a woman reported that a white pickup truck was trying to force her vehicle off the roadway on I-94.
Police say they saw a truck matching the description exit I-94 onto eastbound U.S. 20. Officers reportedly tried to pull the truck over but the driver didn’t stop. When the pursuit reached the dogbone interchange, police say the truck went west on State Road 2. Officers set up tire deflation devices, and the truck finally came to a stop near Whitehead Road.
Police say they spent several minutes ordering the driver to get out of the truck but he refused. At that point, officers say “a chemical agent was introduced into interior of the pickup truck.” The driver finally got out, and he was taken into custody.
The man reportedly identified himself as 40-year-old Paco Libra. But in an update Wednesday afternoon, the sheriff’s department said he’s actually Jose Zavala, 38. Police say a nationwide domestic battery warrant had reportedly been issued for his arrest, and he was wanted by authorities in Wheeling, Illinois
He’s now also accused of the Level 6 felonies of resisting law enforcement and criminal recklessness. He also faces misdemeanor charges of resisting law enforcement, operating while never licensed, and giving a false identity statement.
