BOLIVAR, Tennessee — A man who crashed his car into the Bolivar, Tennessee, police department and then tried to outrun police is in the Hardeman County jail on a $150,000 bond.
James Wallace Bass is facing 7 counts of Aggravated Assault and Reckless Driving. It all unfolded live on social media Sunday morning.
"I was actually just driving by so I pulled over and started recording," said witness Cortez Chappell.
Chappell and several others Facebook-lived the incident. In the parking of the Bolivar Police station, you can see James Bass trying to escape from police officers. For almost 20 minutes, Bass drove around and around. Finally, with nothing left but rims, Bass pulled out the parking lot and was later taken into custody by police.
While this situation ended without deadly force being used, some watching say it dragged on and questioned if the same tactics would have been used if Bass had been African American.
"If it was one, I'm not going to say one of us, but as African American I feel it would have went differently."
Before the standoff with police, witnesses say Bass was protesting and making white supremacist-like comments in front of the police station and an auto store across the street.
Pictures from the Bolivar Police Department show the damage from the inside when Bass rammed his car into the building.
Damage to Bolivar Police Department after man accused of ramming car into building
A statement from the city of Bolivar says, "It is clear that the officers lives, as well as the lives of the bystanders, were endangered by this individual. However, it is equally important to note that any use of deadly force justifiable or not would have also endangered the public."
The Local 24 I-team has learned Bass lives in Jackson, Tennessee. He has previously been arrested for domestic assault forgery and driving on a revoked license.
As recently has May of this year, Jackson Police were called to his home, because Bass told police people were trying to kill him. In the report, police said he did not appear to be a danger to himself.
Bass remains in jail with a $150,000 bond. Chappell's thoughts about that?
"He really shouldn't have a bond. He is not mentally stable to be in the world," said Chappell.
Bass' next day in court is August 4th.