Southaven Police completed a police pursuit that lead to the capture of a man they said was wanted for kidnapping and drove "erratically" to avoid authorities — all while endangering a woman that was unwillingly trapped inside the car.
An affidavit from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office states that, on Feb. 15, MMS Task Force Officers received information from Southaven Police that a suspect named Elmer Smith was in the area of East Parkway South and Barton Street in a black 2023 Toyota 4-runner.
Smith, 37, was wanted for aggravated kidnapping with warrants out of Southaven and has assault warrants out of Shelby County, according to the affidavit. The victim of this kidnapping was in the car, according to the affidavit.
Emergency blue lights and sirens were used during an attempted traffic stop at Carolina Avenue and Main Street, but Smith did not stop his vehicle and police began to chase him, according to the affidavit.
Officers said the vehicle was being driven extremely erratically, weaving in and out of multiple lanes of traffic and running numerous red lights, according to the affidavit. There was a disregard for the safety of the driver himself, the passenger and other motorists on the road, according to the affidavit.
Officers said they saw the vehicle go into oncoming traffic as well as go off road, clearly putting the victims' lives in danger in an attempt to get away from police. Eventually, Smith's vehicle hit a chain link fence in the area of Shelby Drive and Elvis Presley Boulevard and stopped.
At this point, the suspect got out of the vehicle and started to run eastbound on Shelby Drive, according to the affidavit. He was taken into custody after a brief pursuit, according to the affidavit.
The victim was found in the passenger seat with minor abrasions and scratches on her face, according to the affidavit. Police checked the victim for injuries, but then she refused treatment, according to the affidavit. She was transported to Regional One in non-critical condition, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit states that Elmer Smith is accused of reckless endangerment, evading arrest, reckless driving, disregarding traffic signals, driving while a license is suspended, revoked or cancelled and more.
