Vigo County, Terre Haute – Wednesday, April 3, 2019, at approximately 6:00 p.m., Indiana State Trooper Brad Fyfe observed a vehicle with a heavily damaged windshield at 3rd Avenue and 11th Street. The vehicle was a green Mercury with an Indiana registration. Trooper Fyfe activated all his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop. The Mercury promptly pulled over and came to a stop. A front seat male passenger of the vehicle immediately attempted to exit the vehicle as Trooper Fyfe approached. Trooper Fyfe advised the male passenger, through verbal commands, to stay in the vehicle and the male passenger complied.
Trooper Fyfe proceed to speak to the occupants in the vehicle. During his conversation, Trooper Fyfe immediately detected suspicious activity coming from the male passenger. Trooper Fyfe asked for identification, but the male passenger was unable to produce a picture ID, becoming visibly nervous, having difficulty even verbalizing his name. Upon receiving information from the male passenger and the driver, Trooper Fyfe advised both the driver and the male passenger to stay in the vehicle and returned to his patrol car to verify the information that was provided to him. Trooper Fyfe then observed the male passenger quickly exit the vehicle, running west. Trooper Fyfe, without hesitation, got out of his patrol car and gave loud verbal commands for the male subject to stop, but the commands were disregarded and Trooper Fyfe pursued on foot. During the foot pursuit, Trooper Fyfe observed the male subject take off a sweatshirt and discard it on the ground, dropping a small metal container. Trooper Fyfe stopped and secured the small metal container that was dropped before continuing in the foot pursuit. The fleeing male subject attempted to cross a yard near 3rd Avenue, when Trooper Ian Portteus arrived on scene and demanded the male subject to get on the ground. The male subject stopped running and immediately complied with the verbal commands of Trooper Portteus.
Trooper Fyfe secured the male subject and walked back to the vehicle’s location, retrieving the sweatshirt that had been dropped along the way. The male subject was then identified as Ernest L. Hoopingarner, 45, of Terre Haute, IN. During the search of the metal container that Hoopingarner discarded on the ground, it was discovered that it contained approximately 1.5 grams of methamphetamine. A glass smoking device was also located in a pocket of the sweatshirt that Hoopingarner had removed during the foot pursuit. Hoopingarner stated he initiated the foot pursuit because he thought he had active warrants out for his arrest, and knew he was going to jail. Hoopingarner was taken into custody and was transported to the Vigo County Jail where he is currently being detained.
Arrested: Ernest L. Hoopingarner, 45 of Terre Haute
Possession of Methamphetamine Level 6 Felony
Maintaining a Common Nuisance Level 6 Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement Class A Misdemeanor
Possession of Paraphernalia Class A Misdemeanor
False Informing Class B Misdemeanor
Anyone with illegal drug information is encouraged to contact the Indiana State Police Putnamville Post at 765-653-4114. Your tip can remain anonymous and could save a life.
Under the Law, criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
