Five teenagers were arrested just after midnight Thursday morning after leading police on a car chase through Brainerd and tossing a pistol and marijuana from the car.
According to the arrest affidavit for Horatio Houston, 18, an officer was sitting at the intersection of Tunnel Boulevard and Shallowford Road when he saw a black Ford Expedition that had recently been connected to multiple drive-by shootings throughout the city. The most recent was a Sunday shooting in the 2600 block of Glass Street where a house was shot multiple times with a .45 caliber gun.
Horatio HoustonThe officer pulled out behind the car and turned on his lights as the car traveled south on Tunnel Boulevard, but the driver sped off and made a left turn onto Ridgeside Road.
The officer notified dispatch of the pursuit before the suspects turned right onto N. Germantown Road and while he was chasing them, he saw something shiny being thrown from the driver's side.
Eventually the car pulled into a gated driveway at 31 N Germantown Road and the officer got the driver, Houston, out of the car and took him into custody. Also in the car were four juveniles.
One, along with Houston, is a validated Gangster Disciples gang member.
While backtracking the chase route, officers found a glock 21 .45 caliber handgun and a small swisher sweet wrapped with marijuana that had apparently been thrown from the the vehicle during pursuit.
A search of the Expedition also yielded a .45 caliber shell casing in the back section of the car.
All of the suspects were mirandized and agreed to talk with police, but no one admitted to having the gun or throwing it from the car.
Houston was charged with felony evading arrest, reckless driving, driving without a driver's license, possession of a firearm in commission of a felony possession of marijauna and two counts of tampering with evidence.
The rest of the suspects were charged with possession of firearm with the intent to go armed, possession of marijuana and two counts of tampering with evidence.