Man driving tractor eluded police for two hours during 18mph pursuit

A man driving a tractor eluded police for approximately two hours on Monday night in a chase that started in Decatur, Indiana, and crossed the state line into Ohio. At around 7:30pm, the Adam’s County Sheriff’s Department said officers responded in Decatur to a report of vandalism. When they pulled up, police found a man who they said drove away from the area on a tractor. They tried to get him to pull over but said he refused.

At 18 miles per hour, the tractor drove over several sets of stop sticks, leaving several of the tyres either flat or completely gone. According Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey, at one point the tractor driver, identified as Dustin D. Clouse, 20, of Decatur, swerved in an attempt to hit a deputy. He also allegedly tried to ram several patrol cars. Clouse was eventually forced to stop due to mechanical problems.

When Clouse ignored commands to shut off the tractor and get off it, a deputy used his Taser and Clouse was taken into custody according to Sheriff Grey. Clouse was taken to Mercer Health as standard policy when a Taser is used. Once he was cleared for release from the hospital, Clouse was taken to the Mercer County Adult Detention Facility on a felony charge of fleeing and eluding. The case will be reviewed by the Mercer County and Adams County Prosecutor’s Office.

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Additional charges may be filed in Ohio and/or Indiana after that review. “This was an unusual pursuit, we are happy that no one from the public, Mr. Clouse, or law enforcement was injured,” stated Sheriff Grey, “law enforcement agencies from both states worked well together to bring this to a safe conclusion.” Agencies involved in the investigation were the Adams County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Office, Decatur Police Department, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.