From Staff Reports

Two suspects, Gage Foster Swaim and Kathryn Marie Smith, are in the Chilton County Jail after crashing their vehicle while being pursued by Jemison police.

“We anticipate several additional felony charges to be filed. Both subjects are currently being held in the Chilton County Jail,” Jemison Police Chief Shane Fulmer stated in a press release. “This started out a bad situation but could have been much worse. Very good police work and a lot of assistance from outside agencies. I’m very thankful that no one involved was hurt and these two individuals are off the street and in jail. At this time, we don’t know what all these individuals have been involved in between Indiana and here. We can only imagine what all they may have done in our area had they not been apprehended.”

On March 23, around 1:30 p.m., Jemison Police Officer Sgt. Brandon Wright, while on patrol near the Interstate Exit 219, observed a small gold Kia traveling at a high rate of speed occupied by Swaim and Smith. When Wright attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle, the driver sped up initiating a pursuit traveling south toward Thorsby on Chilton County 29.

The pursuit ended at Collins Chapel Church when the suspect vehicle wrecked. The male subject ran from the scene while Wright apprehended Smith. While Wright was dealing with Smith, Swaim made his way back to the scene and got into Wright’s police vehicle. As the male suspect started to leave the scene in the police vehicle, he was traveling in reverse toward Wright.

Wright fired shots into the vehicle. The suspect left the scene on Chilton County 29 traveling south. Approximately a mile from the initial scene, the police vehicle was located at a residence. Responding officers recovered the vehicle and located the male suspect who, after abandoning the police vehicle, attempted to steal several other vehicles at that residence.  The male subject was taken into custody.

Both the male and female subjects are both from Indiana.  The vehicle they were in had just been reported stolen in Alabaster.

Fulmer has requested this case be investigated by an outside agency.  The Chilton County Sheriff’s Department is conducting the investigation and it is still ongoing.