Hartsville, SC - Prisoner Steals Police Car, Leads Deputies
On Chase
Tuesday, Jul 18, 2006 - 09:37 PM
Hartsville police officers arrived on Shamrock Lane Tuesday morning to make a
routine arrest.
Investigators say Steve Menius is wanted for burglaries in the area.
Sergeant Terry Alexander had Menius in the back of his unmarked car, on the way
to jail, when Chief Tim Kemp says the unthinkable happened, he got out of his
handcuffs.
Chief Kemp said Menius then reached through the barrier into front seat, and
reached for Alexander's taser.
"Apparently we have a flaw in the plexiglass but it could be repaired and we've
transported many times, and it's similar to other cages in other cars," said
Kemp. "The whole key is him getting his hands out (of the handcuffs)."
Alexander disabled the taser in time, and avoided a full shock from the weapon,
but during a scuffle outside the car beside Highway 151, Kemp says Alexander was
"dry-tazed" during the incident.
Menius got in the patrol car, and headed back towards Hartsville.
Darlington County deputies picked up the chase from there and went south of
Hartsville to Wesley Chapel Road, where deputies say a train crossing the road
stopped Menius in his tracks. Deputies say he had nowhere to go, so he got out
of his car and ran, and deputies chased him down and arrested him.
"It started out like any other arrest," said Kemp. "But, you never know what it
will turn into."
Menius remains behind bars at the Darlington County Detention Center. He faces
charges of burglary and arson in connection with crimes on the Coker College
campus, and Darlington County deputies will charge him in connection with
Tuesday's chase.
Sergeant Terry Alexander will make a full recovery and should return to work as
normally scheduled