Hammon man leads police on intra-city chase

Hammon resident Adolfo Rodarte, 35, has been charged with endangering others while eluding or attempting to elude a Clinton police officer.
Rodarte allegedly ran numerous stop signs and a red light at Gary Boulevard and N. 13th Street during a pursuit that covered 2.2 miles and in which he allegedly reached a speed of 65 miles per hour on Modelle Avenue.
Fortunately, the chase began at 1:48 a.m. when there wasn’t a lot of traffic or pedestrians on the streets. Even so, an affidavit of probable cause written by the pursuing officer, Peter Porcher, said several motorists were forced to pull over as Rodarte passed them.
The incident occurred Sept. 22.  Rodarte’s bond is $25,000.
Porcher wrote in his affidavit that it began near S. Second Street and Court Avenue and ended in a driveway at 314 N. 14th St. When Rodarte failed to place his hands on his dashboard after being ordered to do so, Porcher said he used his service baton to break the suspect’s window and he and Lt. Shane Harrelson extracted him from his vehicle and put him on the ground before handcuffing him.
The pursuit began after the officer allegedly saw the defendant fail to come to a complete stop at Court Avenue and Second Street in the Lincoln Addition. Porcher said he activated his red lights but the defendant continued north on Second before turning east on Hayes Avenue, running another stop sign as he turned south on Glenn Smith Road, then accelerating.
The officer activated his siren and followed as Rodarte turned west on Jim Robbins Drive, west on Modelle to S. 10th Street, and north on 10th to Frisco Avenue. He turned west on Frisco, then north on 13th, crossing Gary and finally stopping in the driveway at 314 N. 14th.
When the defendant failed to place his hands on his dashboard as ordered to do several times, the officer said he broke out the driver’s window of the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu Rodarte was driving and Lieutenant Harrelson reached in and unlocked the door.
The affidavit said the suspect had outstanding warrants in Roger Mills County. State records also showed prior convictions there, including one in 2013 for the same felony offense he is charged with now in Custer County – eluding or attempting to elude a police officer.
Porcher said Rodarte was also driving without a valid driver’s license, which is a misdemeanor.