Woman leads officers on car chase; strikes several vehicles

Published 6:51 pm Tuesday, April 3, 2018

A Clinton woman faces multiple charges in Vicksburg and Hinds County after leading officers from five jurisdictions on a high-speed car chase Monday afternoon that began in Vicksburg and ended in Jackson, Vicksburg police Sgt. Johnnie Edwards said.

Kelly Renn Kapler, 50, 101 Mary’s Cove, Clinton, faces charges in Vicksburg of felony fleeing and felony eluding. She faces two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and felony fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle in Hinds County.

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Kapler was arrested in Jackson at the intersection of Interstate 55 and High Street. She is also accused of ramming Clinton and Bolton police cars during the chase.

She was being held without bail in the Hinds County Detention Facility in Raymond pending an initial appearance, and Vicksburg has placed a hold on her, jail records show. The case remains under investigation.

According to police reports, a Vicksburg officer was flagged down on U.S. 61 North by an off-duty Hinds County sheriff’s deputy, who said a woman in a van was driving at a high rate of speed and running people off the road.

The Vicksburg officer got behind Kapler, who was southbound on U.S. 61. When the officer turned on his lights, she headed eastbound on Interstate-20 toward Jackson, starting the chase that reached speeds of 70 to 80 mph.

When the chase reached the Flowers exit, the Vicksburg officer was joined by two Warren County units, Edwards said. The Bolton police car joined in the chase at Bolton.

When the chase reached the Clinton city limits, the Vicksburg and Warren County officers discontinued the chase, and Clinton police and Hinds County sheriff’s deputies took up the pursuit.

A Clinton officer put out “stop sticks” to deflate the tires, but the deflated tires failed to slow down Kapler, who continued moving even though the van was running on the rims.

She stopped at Interstate-55 and High Street when a wheel came off the van and she was arrested by Hinds County deputies as she tried to get out of the van.

In other cases:

• Shots were reported fired about 12:05 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Hannah Street and Military Avenue.

Police made the following arrests Monday:

• Brandon Deon Wilson, 26, 125 Hilda Drive, was arrested about 1 p.m. at the Vicksburg Police Department on three counts of contempt of court.

• Willis Junior Jordan, 57, 2207 Pearl St., was arrested about 6:50 p.m. in the 1500 block of Washington Street on a charge of public drunkenness.

• Jodie David Ott, 19, 5868 Derque Cott Road, West Point, was arrested about 6:02 p.m. in the 3500 block of Pemberton Square Boulevard on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and having an open container of alcohol.

• Larry Corelisus Charles Tabb Jr., 24, 3955 Clay St., was arrested about 7:14 p.m. in the 200 block of Second Avenue on a charge of harassing phone calls.

Police responded to the following calls Monday:

• 9:29 p.m., 1100 block of North Frontage Road, disorderly conduct.

• 1:59 a.m., 1100 block of First North Street, simple assault — creating fear.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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