Stanford man arrested after allegedly fleeing police in stolen car

STANFORD — A Stanford man with a history of running from police was arrested Wednesday after allegedly stealing a car, leading a high-speed pursuit across Lincoln County and getting into a scuffle with a deputy sheriff.

Kevin Higgins, 27, faces a multitude of charges, including auto theft, fleeing or evading police, reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, second-degree assault of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.

Police think he may have also committed a pair of burglaries in Stanford prior to the alleged car theft and pursuit.

Area law enforcement was alerted early Wednesday morning after Jay Stroud of Stanford reported that someone had stolen his convertible from the driveway of his Danville Ave. residence, Lincoln County Sheriff Curt Folger said.

Stroud is Folger's son-in-law, Folger said.

"My son-in-law had come out that morning to start his car to warm it up," Folger said. "A black male subject approached him, wanting to know if he had a cigarette. He gave him a cigarette. Mr. Stroud went back into the house … and when he came out, the vehicle was backing out of the driveway."

The incident happened prior to 5 a.m., according to a news release.

With the help of Stanford police officers cruising the town, dispatch was able to determine the driver of the convertible must have left town heading west, Folger said.

Deputy Chase Marcum caught up with the stolen vehicle along Spoonamore Lane and attempted to pull it over. The driver did not comply and Marcum proceeded to chase the car at speeds up to 70 miles per hour along McCormack Church Road, Folger said.

Meanwhile, in the Hustonville area, Police Chief Fred McCoy was rushing to create a blockade at the intersection of McCormack Church Road and U.S. 127.

"They was already on McCormack Church Road when dispatch called me, so I was getting dressed while they was telling me what was going on," McCoy said.

With Danville police headed south on 127 toward the chase, McCoy positioned his cruiser to block the driver from turning toward Hustonville.

"I positioned myself so … if he did turn, he would turn toward Danville," he said.

But the driver never got all the way to 127.

"About the time I got there, the pursuit come over the hill," McCoy said. "I knew he would turn left when he saw me and he turned left onto Raintree (Circle)."

Folger said the driver turned onto Raintree Circle and then went off-road, driving through multiple yards before stopping and fleeing on foot.

The suspect proceeded to hide behind an "outbuilding," where Marcum located him, Folger said. A scuffle between the two men ensued, but the suspect was subdued after McCoy deployed a taser.

"Once I tased him and told him to put his hands behind his back, of course he didn't want to be tased again, so he accommodated us," McCoy said.

Folger said Marcum sustained a small cut to his leg from the fight, but no major injuries.

Marcum arrested Higgins at the scene. Higgins was lodged in the Lincoln County Regional Jail, where he was being held without bond as of Friday evening.