[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he two-day chase began on Tuesday evening at 6:55 pm when a swing-shift patrol officer attempted to pull over a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the Old Seward parking lot of Walmarts for a no front plate violation.

Instead of stopping when the officer activated his lights, the driver, later identified as 31-year-old Gordon Thomas, sped off and exited the parking lot at high speed. Due to the reckless manner of Thomas, the patrol officer broke off pursuit.

APD investigated and determined the identity of the driver as Thomas and found he had outstanding warrants. An additional warrant was issued for Reckless Driving and Failure to Stop. Information was relayed to other APD officers.

The next day, at 12:46 pm, an officer on patrol spotted the Jeep and remembered the locate that was sent out the day before. As soon as Thomas saw the patrol vehicle behind him he began eluding.

Thomas ran a stop sign at Diplomacy and Tudor Centre Drive and continued southbound down Tudor Centre Drive in the northbound lane and soon collided with an APD detective vehicle. The collision damaged both vehicles and popped the rear hatch of the Jeep spilling tires out into the roadway.

The pursuing officer activated his lights and siren as Thomas turned westbound on Tudor. But, traffic was at a halt at the intersection at Tudor and Elmore. Rather than stop and give up, Thomas attempted to crash through between the lanes to continue his attempt at escape. The Jeep became pinned between a white Chevy and a green Toyota Tundra and an APD officer further pinned the Jeep.

Thomas was immediately taken into custody and his female passenger was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries. She was not charged in the incident.

Thomas was transported to the Anchorage Jail and remanded on four outstanding warrants. He was additionally charged with Assault III, Leaving the Scene of an Injury Crash, Reckless Endangerment, Fail to Stop, Reckless Driving, and Resisting.

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