Police: homeless man from St. Louis stole car that resulted in Massac County crash, manhunt

UPDATE MONDAY:
Metropolis Police say it was a homeless man from St. Louis who stole a car in Kentucky and led police on a high-speed chase, a crash, and a manhunt on Thursday in northern Massac County.

 Police said 30-year-old Robert H. Browning was arrested on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated fleeing and eluding police and speeding more than 35mph over the limit.

The chase began when Metropolis Police Chief Harry Masse was returning from a meeting in Paducah when he was passed on the left shoulder of I-24 just past Exit 3 at a high rate of speed by a black Ford Mustang. 

Seconds later, the chief heard Massac County dispatch advising all units that McCracken County Sheriff’s deputies were attempting to catch up to a stolen Ford Mustang on I-24. 

Once they cleared the Ohio River bridge construction zone, the chief pursued the car on I-24 until took the Big Bay exit and turned east to IL 145. 

By this time, dispatch advised that the subject they thought had stolen the car was armed with a handgun. 

The pursuit continued south on IL Rt 145 where the driver almost struck a Massac County deputy head-on. The pursuit continued until a Metropolis officer was able to deploy stop sticks near Marion Road, and the car crashed into the tree line north of Jefferson School Road.

The driver fled into the heavily wooded area, and a perimeter was set up by Metropolis Police, Massac County deputies and Illinois state troopers. Metropolis' K-9 Krypto was also called out. 

About 4 hours later, Browning was spotted by local residents and captured by the Massac County Sheriff as the suspect was coming out of an abandoned house where he had hidden in the attic covering himself with insulation.

Browning was also wanted out of St. Louis on a felony charge of sexual assault of a child, and a warrant out of Franklin County for forgery.

Paducah police are also seeking warrants for the theft of the car.


ORIGINAL STORY:
A high-speed pursuit on Thursday ended in southern Illinois with a crash, a manhunt and the fugitive's capture.

The pursuit began reportedly began in McCracken County and continued on I-24 in Illinois. The driver traveled at speeds reported to be over 100 miles per hour.

Metropolis Police and the Massac County Sheriff's office were involved in the pursuit that continued on IL 145 until the driver crashed near Marion Road in northern Massac County.

Deputies said the unknown white male wearing a dark colored shirt fled on foot into the woods. Illinois State Police joined the search and K9s were also deployed between Marion Road and Jefferson School Road.

At around 4pm the sheriff's office reported that the man had been captured. No other information was released at this time.