Officers of the Fort Worth Police Department captured a man after a two-hour chase this week.
Fort Worth police pulled over the suspect, Lamont Bassett, in a Dodge Charger before midnight on January 24 after observing a counterfeit temporary paper tag.
Bassett allegedly drove away as officers approached the vehicle. The officers proceeded to give chase, reaching speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, according to a statement made to the press by Officer Jimmy Pollozani of the Fort Worth Police Department.
This chase continued for nearly two hours as police units followed the suspect through Arlington and Grand Prairie before looping back to Fort Worth.
During the 63-mile chase, police made multiple attempts to stop the car, including deploying spikes three times: once at Loop 820 and I-30, again near Rosedale Street in Fort Worth, and at Cooks Lane and Interstate 30 in Arlington.
Finally, the damage to the car’s wheels caused by the spikes was enough for them to spit sparks. Bassett came to a stop in the 4400 block of South Riverside Drive and Rolling Hills Road.
Police negotiated with the suspect to leave the vehicle for about an hour. He finally stepped out from behind the wheel and was arrested at about 3 a.m. Bassett faces charges of evading arrest/detention with a vehicle.
Bassett already had an active warrant for aggravated robbery from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Bassett’s sister told officers on the scene that her brother was recently released from prison and expressed regret that he did not accept the situation when first approached by police.
“He didn’t have to even take it this far,” she said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “It wasn’t that serious. I think he just kind of panicked.”
In nearby Dallas, vehicle-related crime has been rising amid a yearlong crime wave that city officials, like January’s Crime Boss Jaynie Schultz, continue to fail to address and curb effectively. Dallas PD saw a 12% increase in auto thefts between 2021 and 2022, with over 13,000 reported last year alone. With 162 vehicles reported stolen so far this month, 2023 looks set to register similar numbers.
The Dallas Express reached out to the Fort Worth Police Department and Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office for additional information. No response had been received at press time.