By T. Scott Boatright
A speed chase that began in Bienville Parish resulted in a Mississippi man facing multiple charges.
The Louisiana State Police reports that a trooper for LSP Troop G was on patrol in Bienville Parish around 7 p.m. Sunday when he observed a white Nissan Sentra appearing to be traveling faster than the posted speed limit on Interstate 20 eastbound. A radar check of the vehicle determined it to be traveling at 88 mph in a 70-mph zone.
After reportedly activating his emergency lights and siren, the trooper reported that the vehicle failed to stop.
The trooper reported that the eastbound chase continued into Lincoln Parish and reached speeds of 100 mph, with the suspect diving on the shoulder of the roadway and failure to signal while changing lanes.
During the chase the car was determined to be stolen before it was finally stopped.
The driver was identified as Thomas Demon Funchess, 29, of Jackson, Mississippi.
Funchess was transported to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and charged with aggravated flight from an officer; reckless operation of a motor vehicle; speeding 110 in a 70 mph zone, improper lane usage, failure to signal lane changes, not possessing a driver’s license, and being a fugitive from Bienville Parish.
Bond for Funchess, who remained in the LPDC on Tuesday, was set at $55,500.
