Man Who Evaded Police Finally Caught

Nov. 24, 2009 - PRLog -- The arrest of a North Carolina man accused of hitting a state trooper with his car in Pennsylvania ended an alleged two month crime spree that spanned across three Northeast Pennsylvania counties.

Court and arrest records show Derek Alan Banks, 37, faces at least seven separate sets of charges in Lackawanna, Wayne and Monroe counties for crimes ranging from retail theft to drug possession to fleeing and eluding police since late September.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by State Police investigating the chase, two days earlier they had begun to stake out Mr. Banks' car after finding it parked in the 1700 block of Washburn street in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

When derek Banks returned to the car around 10 p.m., Cpl. Carroll pulled in behind him and ordered the suspect out of the vehicle at gunpoint, the affidavit said. Mr. Banks backed into the trooper's patrol car, struck another parked car in front of him and then backed into the state police car again before pulling away very swiftly.

Cpl. Carroll fired one shot from his gun as the vehicle struck him, knocking him backward. Then, after a brief chase, Mr. Banks ditched his car on Dorothy Street. He was taken into custody by state and city police about an hour later on Farr Street.

Records indicate city police originally arrested Mr. Banks on September 24th on theft and other charges for allegedly forging a woman's signature on two stolen personal checks for $440. He was arrested by city police again on October 26th for the theft of 10 video game controllers from a Sam's Club store. The following day, October 27th, Pocono Mountain Regional police charged Derek Banks with trying to steal video games from a Kmart store, and he also was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

On November 2nd, police nabbed Mr. Banks a third time when he tried to shoplift merchandise from a supermarket. In addition to retail theft, he was charged with possession of a controlled substance after police found a packet of heroin in his pants pocket, according to the arrest affidavit. Charges of retail theft and receiving stolen property were also filed against him.

On November 18th, Derek Banks allegedly fled from state police after they stopped his car once again. Driving at speeds that at times exceeded 100 miles per hour, Mr. Banks led troopers and local officers on a chase through the city, then the highway, where police officers lost sight of him.

After his arrest, Mr. Banks told investigators he fled from police because he was strung out on drugs and did not want to go through withdrawal in jail, according to Trooper McGurrin's affidavit.


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