LENOIR CITY, Tenn. — A Morristown man accused of barricading himself inside an apartment complex after a police chase Saturday morning is now in custody and faces charges.
Haushann Walter Simpson, 29, is charged with felony evading arrest by motor vehicle, violating Tennessee light laws, felony theft of $10,000-$60,000 and manufacturing, selling or delivering marijuana.
Simpson has several previous felony convictions. LCSO said he is a known gang member.
Initially, an Loudon County deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on a red Dodge Charger in front of the justice center on Sugar Limb Road around 3:30 a.m., according to LCSO Chief Deputy Jimmy Davis. LCSO said the car was driving without taillights and had no visible registration.
Upon further investigation, LCSO determined the car the suspect was driving was a stolen vehicle out of Georgia.
Once the deputy made the traffic stop on the vehicle, he asked the operator for identification and Simpson did not show anything, according to the Loudon County Sheriff's Office. The deputy asked Simpson to exit the vehicle and then the vehicle took off, leading to a pursuit.
LCSO said there was a short pursuit and lost the vehicle for a short period of time. The sheriff's office said it brought other patrol units into the area when that happened.
Shortly after, LCSO said another deputy came across the vehicle and initiated a chase. Deputies said they used spike strips on the vehicle near Lenoir City High School, and the vehicle later ran over it and eventually lost a wheel.
LCSO said Simpson then went up to the Town Creek Village apartment complex on the top of the hill. Deputies said once he got to the parking lot, he got out of the vehicle and ran away. The deputy who was following him said he ran after him.
Simpson got inside an apartment and shut the door before the deputy, according to LCSO could get to him. LCSO said it then made a hard perimeter around the apartment building.
LCSO called in BCSO for tactical and SWAT team assistance. LCSO said it evacuated the building and the apartments around the target apartment.
Once BCSO arrived, Simpson exited the apartment and gave up without any altercation, according to LCSO.
There were several people in the apartment, including juveniles and adults, LCSO said. Investigators said they do not know what the suspect's relationship is to the occupants of the apartment.
”It couldn’t have ended any better," Davis said. "No one was injured… everything’s good.”
LCSO is continuing to investigate the situation.
10News will update this article as more information becomes available.