Gary, IN - Suspect Uses Fire Extinguisher to Smash Gary Police Car Window - Then Steals It - 40 Min State Police Chase

Police: Man who claims gangbangers are after him steals squad car
4:53 PM CDT, March 23, 2008
GARY, Ind.

A man who told police he feared gangbangers were chasing him stole a squad car and led police on a chase on the Indiana Toll Road, authorities said.

Danny Ware, 39, of Winkelman, Ariz., was being held without bond Sunday in Lake County Jail. He was arrested Friday on preliminary charges of auto theft, fleeing, resisting law enforcement, driving with a suspended license and criminal mischief.

Ware walked into a Gary police station Friday and said he was afraid gangbangers had followed him from a bus station in Chicago to the Gary bus terminal, said Gary police Cmdr. Samuel Roberts. Ware asked for a police escort back to the bus station, and Cpl. Jeffery Patrick prepared to give him a ride.

Roberts said there was no evidence Ware was being pursued by anyone and officers were concerned about his mental stability.

While Patrick left his car running and locked outside the police station and went inside to talk to desk workers, Ware broke out a car window with a fire extinguisher and drove away, Roberts said.

"One of the desk workers yelled, 'He just broke your car window,"' Roberts said.

Gary and state police began chasing Ware, pleading over the radio for him to stop. Instead, Ware turned onto the Indiana Toll Road, first heading east, then west, then hitting a guardrail and turning east again, police said.

Ware surrendered and was arrested in LaPorte County about 40 minutes after he took the car, when he saw police had put stop sticks out on the pavement that would have burst the squad car's tires, police said.

Roberts said department officials will investigate why the squad car was left locked and running, which he said is against procedure even though some officers have two sets of keys.

"Vehicles are not allowed to be left running and unattended," he said. "The patrol commander will be looking into the matter as to why this occurred."
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