A Willow Springs man faces numerous charges and is held in the Texas County Jail on $750,000 bond after running Oct. 14 from a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper.
Ernest M. Lense, 60, of 19560 Ranch Road at Willow Springs, was charged with multiple offenses, including felony possession of a controlled substance, felony manufacturing of a controlled substance, felony resisting or interfering with an arrest, speeding, no proof of insurance and failing to wear a seat belt.
According to a probable cause statement submitted by the trooper to the county prosecutor, the officer at about 6 a.m. observed a white GMC Jimmy traveling northbound at 64 miles per hour in a 50 miles per hour zone on Highway 17 near Industrial Drive in Houston. The trooper pulled the Jimmy over at Highway Z and after talking with the driver – Lense – for a while, noticed signs that he might be under the influence of drugs.
The trooper told Lense to stand in front of his patrol car, and conducted a search of Lense’s vehicle. Multiple drugs and drug-related items were found, including an eyeglass container containing a smoking device and a baggie of methamphetamine a baggie containing marijuana.
As the trooper turned to deal with Lense, he observed that the suspect had run from the scene. He was not found that day.
On Oct. 19, the trooper met with a pair of Texas County Sheriff’s Department deputies at Ranch Road and Highway 137 after learning where Lense was. After a briefing, the officers went to his residence and saw he and another man working with a pickup.
The trooper ordered Lense not to move, but he ran away. The trooper pursued Lense into a field and down a hill, and caught up with him and ordered him to stop or be tased.
Lense kept running, and the trooper deployed his Taser. Lense fell to the ground and was apprehended and handcuffed by a deputy.
He was taken to jail where TCMH medical personnel removed taser probes from his body.