James Cochran
HANCOCK COUNTY — Two men traveling at a high rate of speed through a neighborhood in New Palestine in a vehicle with a smashed out window last week now face felony drug and other charges.
Cochran, James F. Cochran, 32, 1000 block of Harlan Street, Indianapolis has been charged with a Level 4 felony count of possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony count of unlawful possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony count of resisting law enforcement and a Class C misdemeanor charge of paraphernalia from the June 11 incident.
Also charged was Joshua D. Lovitt, 34, 100 block of North Water Street, Anderson, who is facing a Level 4 possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony count of unlawful possession of a syringe and a Class C misdemeanor count of paraphernalia.
Both men had their cases assigned to Hancock County Circuit Court where they made their appearance in front of Judge Scott Sirk on June 15. Both men were given a cash bond of $7,50o and assigned a public defender.
According to a probable cause affidavit, at approximately 4:55 a.m. June 11, officials received a call regarding a suspicious, older, red, four-door Ford Focus with a smashed-out window. The caller stated the vehicle left the Willow Grove neighborhood traveling at a high rate of speed heading northbound on CR 700W in the area of CR 300S after it was noticed by a couple in the neighborhood.
Two different officials from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department crossed paths with a New Palestine Police Department officer in search of the vehicle, officials said in the report. The officials kept searching for the vehicle when one of the HCSD officials sitting at the intersection of South Moeller Circle and South Briar Park saw a vehicle coming towards his location, the affidavit said.
“I could see it was a red Ford Focus as it drove eastbound past my location,” the officials said in the report.
The official turned his fully marked Sheriff’s vehicle around as the red Ford Focus took off a high rate of speed, the official said in the report. The officer turned on emergency lights and pursued after red Ford Focus on South Briar Park View.
“This red Ford Focus was driving really fast through the curve sections of South Briar Park View,” the official said in the report. “This vehicle turned onto a dead end section of South Briar Park View and came to an abrupt, sliding stop.”
By this time all three law enforcement officials were in the area and conducted what officials call a “High Risk Stop” officials said in the report.
The driver was identified as Cochran while Lovitt was identified as the passenger in the vehicle. Both were removed and handcuffed, officials stated in the affidavit.
Officials found a black beretta apx BB gun with tape on the grip under the driver’s seat, blunts that looked like marijuana later identified as two spice blunts, a pouch with several narcotic items including a glass pipe that contained a white residue, a clear baggy that contained a significant amount of a white crystal that looked like and field tested positive as methamphetamine, used hypodermic syringes and a set of digital scales, among other drugs and paraphernalia, the report stated.
