A man suspected in a double homicide in Milwaukee was apprehended on Sunday after a pursuit by Burns Harbor and Porter police officers.

Joshua Golden Towns, 26, of Milwaukee, was transported to Porter County Jail on a charge of resisting law enforcement, Burns Harbor Town Marshal Jerry Price told the Chesterton Tribune today. Only hours after the arrest, however, detectives from the Milwaukee Police Department arrived in Porter County to collect evidence, he said.

Price gave this account of Towns’ arrest. At around 10:30 a.m., he said, Officer Craig Barnes of the BHPD stopped Towns in the parking lot of Luddington Nissan on U.S. Highway 20 in response to a report of a suspicious silver Cadillac with Wisconsin tags. Barnes spoke briefly to Towns, then on a hunch called the Porter Police Department for backup and Officer Tawni Komisarcik and Lt. John Lane subsequently arrived at the scene, Price said. “Something didn’t seem right to (Barnes).”

In fact, while Barnes was attempting to run information provided by Towns, Towns fled the scene and a pursuit ensued, from the Nissan lot to Old Porter Road, then westbound on Old Porter Road to Ind. 149, northbound on Ind. 149 to U.S. 20, eastbound on U.S. 20 to I-94, and finally eastbound on I-94, until finally Towns slowed to a speed of between 30 and 40 miles per hour, left the roadway, and struck a tree, Price said.

Towns was removed from the vehicle without incident and transported to Porter Valparaiso Hospital Campus for treatment, then cleared for transport to PCJ, Price said. The BHPD then learned that Towns was wanted in Milwaukee in connection with a double homicide.

Burns Harbor Assistant Chief Mike Heckman recovered Items of possible evidentiary value from Towns’ vehicle and had them “bagged and tagged” for MPD detectives when they arrived on Sunday night, Price noted.

“The officers did a great job,” Price added. “They did exactly what they were supposed to do. You never know what you’re dealing with when you stop someone until you’re both going your separate ways again. It can go south real fast. But Barnes, Komisarcik, and Lane were on their toes.”

Posted 10/6/2008