By Ken Little

Staff Writer

Derrick Allen Hale is finally in police custody.

Hale, 25, of 1965 Justice Road, Afton, was sought on outstanding arrest warrants.
He was picked up Friday by the Baileyton Police Department after managing to elude law enforcement for several weeks.

On Dec. 23, Hale was seen walking outside the BP service station in Baileyton, Deputy Ricky Graham said in a report.

“When he saw me, he put a hood over his head and went into the (store),” the report said.
Store video tape showed another person was acting as a lookout for Hale so he could leave without
being detected, the report said.

Sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop a pickup truck driven by Hale about 10:30 a.m. Jan. 22 on Gass Road, Deputy Chuck Humphreys said in a report.

Deputies knew Hale was wanted in Greene County, the report said.

Emergency lights were activated on the patrol car, and Hale “sped up and swerved left into a parking lot,” the report said.

He continued several hundred yards before slowing to a stop and running from the truck into a wooded area.

Hale had two active warrants for his arrest and “did run to elude arrest,” the report said.

 “Three young daughters” of Hale were in the pickup truck when he fled, the report said.  They were
not wearing child safety restraints.

A driver’s license check showed Hale’s license was suspended, the report said.

On Jan. 23, Baileyton police spotted Hale at the Road Runner gas station in Baileyton. He was a back-seat passenger in a Ford Explorer, Officer John Jones said in a report.

When police approached the SUV, “he opened the door and ran on foot” behind the BP station, then “off an embankment into a field,” the report said.

Hale is charged with three counts of felony reckless endangerment, felony evading arrest, evading arrest, driving on a suspended license, failure to appear and resisting stop, frisk and halt.
Bond was set at $44,000. Hale is scheduled to appear today in General Sessions Court.

 

For more information and stories, see The Greeneville Sun.