A Des Moines man is facing charges after police say he rammed a squad car following a chase. A police report shows an officer tried to pull a vehicle over for an improper lane change early this morning. The officer said the driver, later identified as 28-year-old Jack Van Sickle, sped away and was clocked doing 70 miles an hour on residential streets.
The vehicle slid under a parked semi trailer in a parking lot and appeared to be stuck. At that point, the officer was preparing to get out of his cruiser when Van Sickle backed up his car and struck the cop car twice. The bumper of the officer’s car became wedged under the passenger door of Van Sickle’s car.
Other officers arrived and took Van Sickle into custody. He’s charged with felony eluding, assault on a police officer and driving while his license was suspended. Police say Van Sickle could also face an OWI charge.