A chase through the center of the capital city almost ended with a water rescue. Des Moines police Sergeant Todd Dykstra says it began with police checking out suspected drug dealing in the western suburb of Urbandale late this (Monday) morning. It began when an Urbandale officer tried to do a traffic stop. Police say 47-year-old Steven Sims of Waukee wouldn’t stop his tan Oldsmobile, but took off at high speed. Sims got onto Interstate 35-80 near Living History Farms and the pursuit went around Des Moines’ north side until he took the 14th street exit and headed toward downtown Des Moines, with the State Patrol joining the chase. Des Moines police joined the chase as he came into the city limits, and he kept speeding through town, refusing to stop. The cops finally got him hemmed in and stopped on the University Avenue bridge over the Des Moines River. He got out of his car and tried to jump over the bridge railing. Dykstra couldn’t say how deep the water is or how tall the bridge stands over the river where it goes through downtown Des Moines within sight of the Capitol, but he says nobody should jump off that bridge, pointing out it’s always dangerous no matter how deep the water. Dykstra says there will be several charges filed in this incident in which Sims reportedly struck a patrol car near the Des Moines Post Office shortly before he was stopped.
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