By Emily Ketterer | Daily Journal
For The Republic
FRANKLIN — A Columbus woman accused of stealing items from a Franklin department store then led police on a lengthy car chase through Johnson, Marion and Shelby counties.
Leandra Renee Davis, 32, was arrested on charges of possession of stolen property, resisting law enforcement, aggressive driving, criminal recklessness and leaving the scene of an accident.
Franklin police responded about 4:15 p.m. Sunday to a report of shoplifting at Walmart, 2125 N. Morton Street, Franklin. The suspect, later identified as Davis, was reported driving a blue Kia Soul, according to a Franklin Police Department report.
Walmart employees told police Davis put several items in her shopping bag, without scanning them at the self-checkout, and left the store. Two employees tried to confront Davis about the items, but she drove off, according to the report.
A responding officer saw Davis pull into a dealership across the street from the Walmart. He turned on his emergency lights to signal a traffic stop, the report said.
Davis fled from the Hubler lot, crossing traffic to go northbound on Morton Street, according to the report. She continued driving north on U.S. 31, running a red light at the Commerce Drive intersection, and evading police stop sticks once she reached Whiteland, according to the report.
She continued on U.S. 31, speeding at 89 miles per hour and weaving between cars. Davis attempted to pass cars on the right shoulder at the Worthsville Road intersection in Greenwood, but lost control, spun out and hit another car. She regained control of the car and then continued northbound, the report said.
Davis turned onto Madison Avenue from U.S. 31. She went north on Madison Avenue, weaving in and out of traffic, traveling the wrong way into oncoming traffic and driving aggressively in a construction zone. She continued north through downtown Greenwood at speeds topping 60 miles per hour, according to the report.
She continued north on Madison, crossing County Line Road into Indianapolis, then turned east onto Stop 11 Road. She continued east on Stop 11, and went into oncoming traffic on multiple occasions, continuing to evade police, the report said.
On Stop 11, while approaching Interstate 65, her front-right tire shredded and she began driving on the rim. She continued on Stop 11 Road, going the wrong way through the roundabouts at Combs Road and Five Points Road, according to the report.
Davis then turned onto Shelbyville Road, heading south. She went off the road into a cornfield at 8901 Shelbyville Road, and then got back onto the road until it turned into County Road 525 E. She went off the road again, into a yard at 114 County Road 525 E and struck a tree. After that, she got back onto the road and continued south on County Road 525 E, the report said.
At the T-intersection at Rocklane Road, she turned east, where a Johnson County sheriff’s deputy was waiting with stop sticks. While he was attempting to use stop sticks, Davis swerved toward the deputy, nearly striking him, according to the report.
Davis lost control again and went into a yard at 48 County Road 650 E. She recovered, corrected and continued east on Rocklane. She eventually wrecked again, this time in a cornfield at 8842 W. Rocklane Road in Shelby County, the report said.
Once she realized the vehicle was stuck in the field, Davis got out and began running south through the field, away from officers. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office deployed a K9, which attempted to apprehend Davis while she was running, but missed, according to the report.
At that time, Davis put her hands up and surrendered. She told police she left “the stuff” at Walmart, and thought the police would stop chasing her.
She was taken to Johnson Memorial Hospital for evaluation due to the several accidents she was involved in during the chase. She was released from the hospital and booked into Johnson County jail, where she is held on $12,800 bond.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
