Contributed photo / Andrew TaylorA man is in custody after leading Hamilton County deputies on a looping, high-speed chase through Soddy-Daisy neighborhoods on Friday morning.
Andrew Scott Taylor, 40, was in a black BMW at the drive-thru of Smokin' Joe's Tobacco Shop in the 8700 block of Hixson Pike just before 9 a.m. when a deputy thought he recognized him, according to Hamilton County court records.
The deputy was familiar with Taylor because he had multiple outstanding warrants, court records state, and when the deputy ran the vehicle's license plate it returned as a silver 2004 Volkswagen, not a black BMW.
After leaving the drive-thru, Taylor pulled into a gas station a few blocks away, got out of the car and went inside. The deputy tried to block Taylor's car in and waited for him to get back into the car before attempting to initiate a traffic stop in the parking lot, according to the arrest report.
Taylor did not stop and instead accelerated in reverse through the parking lot and onto Hixson Pike, according to court records. The deputy gave chase, and the two reached speeds of up to 90 mph. When going around a curve, Taylor's vehicle left its lane until it made an abrupt turn onto East Ridge Trail Road and then onto Millard Road.
The chase continued on multiple smaller, winding roads, through stop signs and reaching speeds of up to 80 mph in some cases. Taylor slammed on the brakes at least twice, something pursuing deputies believed to have been an attempt to disable their vehicles, they noted in the criminal affidavit.
The pursuit went on for about 11 miles and made a loop back onto Hixson Pike twice before Taylor turned into a driveway in the 10900 block of Hixson Pike. He then drove through the resident's yard, through another driveway and back onto Hixson Pike, where deputies performed a "pursuit intervention technique," causing Taylor's vehicle to crash on the right side of the road.
Taylor was then "held at gunpoint and ordered to show his hands," the arresting deputy wrote in the arrest report. But Taylor refused, according to deputies, and tried again to evade arrest by accelerating in reverse before the vehicle became disabled in a ditch.
Still, Taylor resisted arrest, court documents state. The pursuing deputy punched him at least once "to gain compliance." But Taylor allegedly went on to strike another deputy and reportedly tried to "take his equipment," the arrest report states. That deputy then grabbed the pursuing deputy's baton and hit Taylor's right leg at least once, according to the arrest report.
Back-up deputies arrived and helped get Taylor into custody.
Taylor's vehicle was searched, and one hypodermic needle was found, court records state. No other contraband was found in the car.
Taylor was taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation before being taken to the Hamilton County Jail, where he faces at least 23 charges, including two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless endangerment and evading arrest. Most of the remaining charges are for traffic violations.
Contact Rosana Hughes at 423-757-6327, rhughes@timesfreepress.com or follow her on Twitter @HughesRosana.