Man booked on felony charges after leading deputies on chase, claims he's escaped police three times before

After leading deputies from multiple agencies on a chase through Carson City and into Washoe Valley Friday evening, a 26-year-old Carson City man was arrested at gun point after crashing a vehicle and running across the I-580 on foot.

According to the police report, Tyler James Lewallen was booked on seven charges including felony fugitive from justice, eluding a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, reckless driving, and more.

Special Enforcement Team deputies received information that Lewallen was in the area of Arrowhead Drive and Goni Road and that he was a fugitive with a felony warrant.

Deputies patrolled the area before locating the vehicle at the intersection of Old Hot Springs Road and Goni. He stopped at the stop sign, and deputies made eye contact with him. The deputy made a U-turn and got behind him, at which point he immediately fled.

Deputies followed Lewallen as he ran multiple stop signs and entered the on-coming traffic lane at speeds of between 45-65 mph.

Deputies followed Lewallen through Arrowhead Drive and Emerson Drive, and when he reached the roundabout at Imus Road he jumped both curbs to bypass the roundabouts.

Lewallen entered the freeway of I-580 traveling at speeds of up to 95 mph, traveling on the right and left shoulders to bypass traffic.

Deputies backed off of the vehicle for safety reasons but maintained observation. Lewallen exited the I-580 onto Old 395.

At that point, Lewallen exited the roadway onto the dirt shoulder and his vehicle crossed a ditch at high speeds, coming to rest on the other side of a small barbed wire fence.

It appeared he had punctured the gas tank in the crash, according to a deputy on scene, and gas could be smelled near the vehicle.

Lewallen fled on foot up through a small field toward the I-580. Lewallen jumped over an 8-foot high barbed wire fence, and as he crossed the top, deputies heard him yell out in pain. Deputies decided not to follow him over the fence for their own safety, and instead determined they would find him on the other side of the fence.

Deputies located Lewallen a few minutes later running northbound along the freeway, still on the other side of an 8 foot high barbed wire fence.

Deputies put Lewallen at gunpoint and instructed him to the ground, which he complied. Another deputy brought bolt cutters to cut the fence.

Lewallen was bleeding from his left hand and had a laceration on his finger. Medics from Truckee Meadows Fire arrived to the scene and evaluated Lewallen. As they spoke to him, deputies noted he had a rapid speech and rigid muscle tone, characteristic of drug use. The medics recommended he be transported to the hospital, and he was transported to Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center.

Inside the vehicle deputies located a baggie of methamphetamine and “associated paraphernalia.”

At the hospital, Lewallen told deputies he had eaten methamphetamine during the pursuit and used heroin earlier in the day. He also stated he was “coming down” and “hadn’t slept in days.” Deputies determined based on this information he was under the influence of drugs while driving and added DUI drugs to his offenses.

He also admitted he had been in five pursuits with police and evaded capture in three of them, both in Nevada and California.

No bail.

— A Carson City man was arrested in the 2200 block of Mayflower Way for DUI first alcohol after allegedly being found passed out in the driver’s seat of a truck at 11 a.m.

When deputies arrived, they spoke with the man’s roommate who advised the man was passed out drunk in the driver’s seat of a truck, which was still running in the drive way.

As the roommate spoke, the engine of the truck revved. The roommate advised the man kept revving the engine and they were afraid he was going to drive into the house.

Deputies approached the vehicle and found the man slumped over in the driver’s seat. They observed the driver’s side door was locked and the window was slightly ajar. Deputies reached into the vehicle and unlocked the door. When the door opened, they smelled the overwhelming odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage emanating from the man.

They reached across the man and turned off the vehicle, at which point the man woke up and asked deputies what they were doing.

Deputies asked the man to step out of the vehicle, and the man asked again what they were doing. The man refused to exit the vehicle, and deputies grabbed him by his left arm and pulled him from the vehicle, at which point he fell on the ground.

Deputies told him he was being detained for suspected DUI and asked him to stand up and walk to the patrol vehicle. The man stated he could not because he was too drunk, and said he didn’t know what the problem was because he did not put anyone in danger and was in his driveway.

The roommate told deputies the man had been drinking Early Times whisky all day and had gotten into his truck at approximately 10 a.m. and drive away, returning at around 10:30 a.m. The roommate stated they were afraid he was going to kill someone because he “always drives drunk.”

The man told deputies that when he got out of jail he was going to buy a gun and “spray” law enforcement the next time he was contacted. At the jail, he said again that when he got out of jail he would purchase a gun and that they “would not like him after that.”

He was booked without further issue.

Bail: $1,137

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.