Suspect in Kouts police cruiser theft surrenders

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Updated: February 15, 2012 8:05AM

The Knox man wanted in the theft Tuesday of a Kouts police car while he was handcuffed surrendered Thursday night at his home in Knox.

William Blankenship, 22, was wanted for stealing a Kouts police car after being arrested Tuesday on drug charges.

According to a press release from the Indiana State Police, Master Trooper Kevin Murphy and Senior Trooper Jerry Michalak met Blankenship at his family residence in Knox at about 10 p.m. Thursday where he surrendered.

Blankenship was taken to the Porter County Jail.

On Wednesday, the Porter County Prosecutor’s office filed Class D felony auto theft charges against Blankenship. Blankenship faces six months to three years in prison if convicted of the auto theft felony.

Kouts Police Chief James Boyce said the situation is a tough one for the department.

“It’s a blow to your ego,” Boyce said. He described the theft as the worst incident he can recall since joining the department.

“You see it from time to time in the news,” Boyce said, adding one never expects the theft of a squad car will happen to one’s department.

He said the officer involved followed protocol after responding to a call about a reckless driver. Blankenship was clocked doing 53 mph in a 35 mph zone. Blankenship pulled his car into the Family Express parking lot at the corner of Indiana 49 and Indiana 8 when the officer initiated the traffic stop.

When the officer approached the vehicle he noticed drug paraphernalia and items associated with drugs in the car. The officer took custody of Blankenship, handcuffing him behind his back and placing him in the back seat of his squad car.

The officer then went to inventory Blankenship’s vehicle. When he looked up, Boyce said, the officer saw the squad pulling away.

A significant amount of narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamines, were found in Blankenship’s vehicle along with plastic bags, scales and miscellaneous paraphernalia. The prosecutor’s office will determine what other charges will be filed.

Blankenship sped west on Indiana 8. Boyce said police spoke with Blankenship on the squad’s radio in an attempt to negotiate a surrender but weren’t successful. He said Blankenship said he had a family and did not want to go to jail. He also told police he did not want to hurt anyone, but did not know what he would do if approached.

Police had tracked the stolen squad using the GPS devices in the officer’s computer and cell phone until contact was suddenly cut off. When police found the squad at about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday it was partially submerged in about 10 feet of water in a detention pond in the area of 600 W. County Road 2200S in southern LaPorte County.

Boyce said it appears Blankenship approached a 90-degree turn in the road at a high rate of speed and wasn’t able to navigate the turn due to the handcuffs.

“You can see the skid marks. You can also see his footprints in the mud where he crawled out,” he said.