Information received from SPD-
Just after 4 pm Friday 11/17/2023 a Splendora Police Department Interdiction Unit attempted to stop a Toyota 4-Runner for speeding. As the officer activated his emergency lights the driver of the vehicle accelerated to over 120 MPH. That was the start of a long pursuit. The pursuit continued north on Hwy. 59 into Cleveland where they exited Washington Ave. and went through Cleveland at a high rate of speed and then entered back onto Hwy. 59 Northbound from North Washington ave. Cleveland Police Department assisted. The suspects exited Shepherd and ran North on Loop 424 through Shepherd to FM 223 where they turned East and started throwing drugs out of the vehicle, They continued under the freeway and continued East. Running around curves and head-on at vehicles he continued to FM 787. As the suspects continued East they continued dumping bags of drugs out the window. As they crossed the Trinity River Bridge the driver clipped the bridge railing and ran off the road crashing down the embankment. The driver surrendered immediately. The passenger fled on foot but after about a 400-yard foot chase was taken into custody. Officers were able to recover several bags of drugs and a good samaritan in Shepherd who observed the chase and the suspects throwing a bag of drugs from the vehicle picked up and delivered the bags to the Shepherd Police Department. Officers recovered 3 kilos of meth, a half-kilo of cocaine, 85 grams of K12, 36 ounces of marijuana, and 15 kilos of fentanyl pills which totaled 5000 hits. Our Officers are still working to identify the passenger. However, the driver, identified as Zacharias Carpenter, was identified as a felon who had been convicted in several states including Illinois and Arkansas. In June of 2001, he was convicted in Will County Illinois of Aggravated Robbery. Now for the best part, just ten days ago Mr. Carpenter was stopped by, you guessed it, Splendora Police in a different vehicle and was arrested for possession of marijuana and felon in possession of a firearm. However, just a few days later he posted a $50,000 bond. The vehicle that was pursued today was a rental vehicle with Arkansas plates.
Mr. Carpenter has been charged with felony Evading in a motor vehicle and 4-counts of Manufacturing and Delivery of Controlled Substances and has NO BOND
The passenger, who was identified as Terry Lee Washington Jr has been charged with Evading on foot along with 4-counts of Manufacturing and Delivery of Controlled Substances and has $500,000 bond.
SPD Chief Wieghat along with all of us involved would like to thank Cleveland Police, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Liberty County Precinct 5 Constables Office, and San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.
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