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Chase of suspected kidnapper in Porter County ends in crash, sends officer to hospital

PORTER, Ind. (WISH) — An officer with the Porter Police Department was sent to the hospital Saturday night after a pursuit of a suspected kidnapper ended in a crash, Indiana State Police said Sunday.

ISP says they received a call saying a woman was being held against her will by a person with a handgun at 7:00 p.m. The vehicle was located on Interstate 94 near Burns Harbor 12 minutes later.

The driver of the vehicle initially pulled over before driving away. A pursuit was initiated and the vehicle exited I-94 at State Road 49.

The vehicle entered State Road 49 driving northbound in the southbound lanes and crashed head-on into a police car, according to ISP.

Two people fled from the scene, one of whom was tased and taken into custody. Police on Sunday identified him as 25-year-old Aries Atlas, of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was transported to the hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

The second suspect, 29-year-old Samuel Kuhl, also of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was taken into custody Sunday. He is wanted on two separate full extradition warrants, according to ISP.

Police say a handgun found during the investigation was stolen from Kalamazoo.

Three people in the vehicle did not flee. One of them — a woman — was taken to the hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

Corporal Scott Cornelison, a 16-year veteran of the Porter Police Department, was also taken to the hospital with serious injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

No further information about the pursuit or suspects was provided.

Kuhl is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, carrying a handgun without a license, two counts of resisting law enforcement and false informing, ISP said Monday. Atlas is charged with resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, resisting law enforcement, reckless driving and operating a vehicle without a license.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect a correction from ISP noting the incident happened Saturday, not Friday.