PLAINFIELD, Ind. — A suspect is dead after their car rolled into a pond during a chase with Plainfield police Tuesday afternoon.
Indiana State Police identified the deceased Wednesday afternoon as 19-year-old Jayden Armstead of Indianapolis.
The chase started shortly before 3 p.m. Nov. 7 when police tried to stop Armstead for a traffic infraction at Ronald Reagan Parkway and Main Street. After reportedly refusing to pull over, Armstead hit a vehicle and continued driving.
No one was reported to be injured in that crash.
The pursuit continued into Marion County, where Armstead's car left the road at South Girls School Road and Moon Drive and went into a pond.
Officers who were involved in the pursuit went into the pond, but could not get Armstead out.
“Officers immediately went from trying to arrest and detain somebody to now trying to save someone’s life," Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine said. "Without regard for their own safety, they all jumped into the pond with their gear on, trying to get this man out of the wrecked vehicle, and they just were unable to.”
Divers recovered Armstead, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
"I jumped out the bed and like flew down the stairs to see what that boom was, and when I came outside, there was a car floating out here in the pond," said Darryl Clemons, whose house backs up to the pond. "He was in there for about 20 minutes before he actually got him out, and I figured, 20 minutes, man, he's probably not going to survive that."
Clemons, a father of four, said watching the man's body being pulled from the water made him think about his own kids.
"You know, I just kind of worry about this world we live in today. It's kind of crazy. But unfortunately, the kid just didn't know that yesterday was going to be his last day here. It's pretty sad," Clemons said.
State police detectives were called in to investigate the crash, which police said is standard procedure for the department when a police incident involves a death.
“Regardless of the circumstances, any loss of life is tragic. However, this person made the decision not to pull over for a traffic infraction." Perrine said. "A minor traffic violation that officers witnessed. They made the decision to flee from those officers, putting several lives in danger to include their own.”
State police said late Tuesday Armstead's family has been notified.
The investigation into the pursuit and crash is ongoing.