Man traveling at a high rate of speed is stopped with spike strips

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – A LaFollette man was arrested on over a dozen charges, including evading arrest after leading authorities on a high speed chase Sunday. The deployment of spike strips by the Tennessee Highway Patrol brought the chase to an end. Two other LaFollette men were arrested as co-defendants.According to a LaFollette Police report, Brandon Hatmaker, 25, was observed to be driving erratically on East Beech street by Sgt. Noah Riggs. When Riggs initiated his lights and attempted a traffic stop on the blue 2008 Ford Taurus, the vehicle “shot off at a high rate of speed.” Hatmaker ran multiple stop signs before turning onto Long Hollow Road. According to the police report, Sgt. Riggs “paced” the car doing 60 miles per hour in a 25 miles per hour zone. At that point, the officer noted there were three occupants in the vehicle. The vehicle then turned onto Cedar Creek Road. Riggs continued to chase the vehicle as it “passed other cars at a high rate of speed on the double yellow line.”

Half a mile before the old Freddy’s Market, the Tennessee Highway Patrol deployed spike strips. As the vehicle approached the spike strips, it swerved “towards the THP officers and vehicles.” The car struck the spike strips with the two tires on the driver’s side. The tires came apart and the car stopped at the old Freddy’s Market.  According to the police report, Hatmaker then attempted to run on foot and “jump a six foot ditch and fell.”  At that time, THP troopers were able to take him into custody. Emergency Services were called, Hatmaker was transported to the hospital to be checked for injuries from the fall and then transported to jail.

Officers did a vehicle inventory and discovered a metal bar with tape wrapped around it for a handle, several one cc syringes and a bottle with a hole in it and burned foil for drug use. Hatmaker was charged with driving under the influence, felony evading arrest, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, aggravated assault, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a prohibited weapon, failure to maintain lane, violation of the registration law, violation of TN financial law, speeding, failure to obey a traffic control device and driving on a revoked license. Hatmaker has a court date set for July 7, 2020.

Ryan Mount, of LaFollette and Mathew Pressnell, also of LaFollette are listed in the report as co-defendants in the case regarding the drug charges. ()WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 05/26/2020-6AM)