BEATRICE – Beatrice Police have arrested a 22-year-old man on several charges…after getting an early morning witness report of a male police knew had a suspended driver’s license and active felony warrants.

At around 3:15 a.m., Wednesday, an officer observed a white Chrysler 300 stop in the five-hundred block of North 9th.  The officer observed the suspect and a dog in the front passenger seat.  When the officer activated his patrol unit’s overhead emergency lights, the man put his vehicle in reverse, backed up for half-a-block and collided with a light pole, which flattened a rear tire.

The man then accelerated eastbound on Grant Street, south onto 16th, then westbound on May Street.  He then drove south on 13th, eastbound on Ella….then turned south through the parking lot of Russ’s Market.  The vehicle then traveled east on Court Street, then south on 16th, before coming to a stop near 16th and Market.

The driver, police said, went through several stop signs, maintaining a speed of about 30 miles-per-hour during the pursuit.

Police arrested Darrian Norman, without further incident.  Officers located a five-inch dagger on the floorboard of the car during a search. 

Norman was arrested for possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, possession of a deadly weapon during a felony, flight to avoid arrest, second-offense willful reckless driving and driving on a suspended license.

A records check indicated Norman was a convicted felon with previous flight to avoid arrest convictions from 2018 and 2020.  His driver’s license was on suspension.