One man is in jail following a low-speed chase early Wednesday morning, Emporia police said in a news release.
Richard Campa, 26, of Emporia allegedly became involved in a chase with Emporia police after they responded to a 911 hang-up call at 1:21 a.m. from a pay phone at 423 W. Sixth Ave., near State Street.
When they arrived, officers said, they observed a man, later identified as Campa, in a passenger car at the pay phone.
Lt. J. Scott Cronk of the Emporia Police Department said Campa drove away as soon as the officers arrived and tried to elude the officers by driving down an alley and turning off his lights.
The officers caught up with the car in the 300 block of State Street and attempted to stop it, Cronk said. The driver refused to stop and continued driving on State Street to West South Avenue, then turned west. Officers followed the car for several blocks with their lights and sirens on.
Officers then attempted to box the car in and the driver slowed to about 20 mph and appeared as though he were going to stop, when he suddenly swerved left of center, nearly striking a police car occupied by two officers.
The car then traveled left of center for approximately two blocks at speeds up to 50 mph until it reached the entrance to the South Gate Trailer Park at 1601 W. South Ave., where it entered the park and drove to the east side.
The driver abandoned the vehicle in the roadway and ran into a trailer.
Campa was arrested after officers reviewed video from an in-car camera and confirmed that Campa’s clothing matched that of the person seen leaving the car. He was taken to the Lyon County Jail.
Cronk said other people who appeared to provide false or misleading information to the investigating officers may be charged at a later time.
Campa’s faces charges of two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, felony attempt to elude, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license, illegal registration, driving left of center and a stop sign violation.