Violent Crimes detectives Saturday night were following a stolen Infiniti Q50, displaying a stolen license plate, when they attempted to stop the sedan on Meridian Street at Douglas Avenue. The driver, Montez Harris, 18, fled at a high rate of speed and turned the lights off.
A police helicopter followed and updated ground units below. Spike strips were successfully deployed on South 11th Street at Shelby Avenue. Harris stopped the car on South 11th and Fatherland Streets.
Harris, his passengers, Jaque'ja Simpson, 18, and a 17-year-old male, bailed from the Infiniti. Both males were found hiding under a vehicle. Simpson was later apprehended on South 7th Street.
Harris was in possession of the keys to the Infiniti. A handgun was recovered from his flight path. A bottle of prescription pain medication, not issued to Harris, was recovered from the car.
Harris is charged with vehicle theft, evading arrest, theft of property, drug possession, and a weapons violation. At the time of his arrest, he was free on $75,000 bond for his July 2024 arrest on felony drug and weapon possession charges. He was also served at the time of his July arrest with outstanding warrants charging him with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment for allegedly firing into a crowd on Dellway Villa Road on March 29, 2024. Harris remains jailed on $111,000 bond.
Simpson is charged with vehicle theft and evading arrest. She remains jailed on $30,000 bond. The 17-year-old is charged in Juvenile Court with evading arrest, vehicle theft, and juvenile handgun possession.