A “routine” night of patrol wasn’t so routine for Columbia Police Chief Mike Cooper last weekend.
An attempted traffic stop turned into a pursuit that put Perry Hammond Jr., 30, of Columbia behind bards for DUI (third offense) and eluding a law enforcement officer.
“I was checking buildings along MLK Saturday night,” Cooper said. “I saw him come out of the Fred’s parking lot at a high rate of speed. He headed toward High School Avenue.”
Cooper said Hammond came to a stop in the middle of the intersection at Martin Luther King Drive and Lafayette Street and then sped off toward High School Avenue.
“Before I turned my lights on he almost hit a car at Lafayette and High School,” Cooper said. “I turned the blue lights on near Hart’s Corner … smoke came out of the tailpipe and he took off.”
Cooper pursued Hammond south on South High School Avenue until Hammond turned on McNeese Street and led Cooper through the streets known as the Alphabet Streets.
“He then turned down Arkansas Street, which is a dead end,” Cooper said. “He bailed out and attempted to cross the flooded creek there. I took off after him. The water was waist deep. We got him in the creek.”
Hammond was booked into the Marion County Jail, but was later released on bond.
