Pursuit

On June 28th at around 7:05 p.m., police observed a Chevrolet Impala near the intersection of N. Maple Avenue and Disk Drive. It was displaying license plates which are registered to a different vehicle. Police attempted to stop the vehicle, but it continued through the parking lot at 2200 N. Maple Avenue at a slow speed. The vehicle then turned onto Mall Drive and continued past the intersection with Haines Avenue. The remainder of the pursuit continued through the residential area at a low speed. Several baggies were seen being thrown from the passenger window of the car. Spike strips were deployed along Pahasapa Road. In an attempt to avoid the spike strips, the vehicle turned to go off road into a courtyard. The vehicle then got stuck behind the 600 block of Wambli Drive. Both occupants of the vehicle were quickly apprehended. The driver was identified as 35-year-old Phillip Pond of Pine Ridge, and it was determined he did not have a valid driver’s license. The passenger was identified as 33-year-old Courtney Lawrence of Rapid City. Police located several jeweler’s baggies and syringes in the area where they were seen being thrown out of the vehicle. These items field-tested positive for methamphetamine. Pond was placed under arrest for Possession of Controlled Substance, Aggravated Eluding, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Substitution of License Plates, and Driving Without a Valid License. Lawrence would be placed under arrest for Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and a Warrant. Both were transported to the Pennington County Jail.