U.S. Marshals arrest 2 in Bloomington after pursuit ends with crash

BLOOMINGTON — U.S. Marshals arrested two men in Bloomington Monday after authorities tracked down a man with outstanding arrest warrants.

On Sunday, the United States Marshals Service in Indianapolis contacted the Bloomington Police Department and asked for help finding 25-year-old Jason Brown, who had outstanding arrest warrants and was believed to be staying in Bloomington.

Brown was wanted for charges of stalking, domestic battery and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon related to his ex-wife. Court documents show in the months leading up to his arrest, Brown had repeatedly harassed his ex-wife through messages, phone calls and voice mails and on multiple occasions damaged her yard by driving his truck through her property, despite a protective order prohibiting him from having any contact with her.

On Monday, several U.S. Marshals came to Bloomington to arrest Brown, who was believed to be staying at a residence in the 100 block of East Driscoll Street. Marshals began surveilling the home and saw Brown leave in a pickup truck with another man.

They followed the truck until the driver eventually speed off in an attempt to elude the Marshals. Authorities say the Marshals then activated the emergency lights on their unmarked vehicles and tried to pull the truck over, but the driver refused to stop. The driver of the truck continued to flee and failed to stop at an intersection with Walnut Street, which resulted in a collision with another truck.

After the crash, U.S. Mashals removed the occupants of the truck and found a handgun under the passenger seat, according to authorities. All parties involved were checked out on scene by medical personnel. The truck was determined to be stolen from Carmel, and the driver has been identified as 26-year-old William Bennett Jr.

Bennett Jr. was booked into the Monroe County Jail for the charges of vehicle theft with a prior conviction and resisting law enforcement with a vehicle.

Brown was booked into the Monroe County Jail for the three outstanding arrest warrants and possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.