Published: August 26, 2008 10:13 pm      

Reed sentenced for 2007 police chase

Reed faced eight charges, including attempted murder of a police officer.

Jamon Reed, a convicted felony from Crown Point, is going back to prison.

This time, Reed will serve a 20-year prison sentence on a cocaine conviction stemming from a January 2007 police chase in which police say he attempted to kill a Kokomo police officer.

Reed was to stand trial in Howard Superior Court 1 for attempted murder, dealing in cocaine, possession of cocaine, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, alteration of handgun identifying marks, battery, resisting law enforcement and false informing.

A jury of 12 and two alternates were selected Friday in the case.

But on Monday, the trial was halted as Reed talked with Howard County Deputy Prosecutor Ron Byal and defense attorney Brent Dechert and decided to plead guilty as part of a plea bargain.

The plea, which had him plead guilty to a B felony possession of cocaine, was granted and Reed was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was given jail time credit for 591 days he has served in jail since his arrest in January 2007.

Byal dismissed the other charges as part of the plea agreement.

Kokomo police arrested Reed, along with Darrell Hall, of Gary, on Jan. 12, 2007, after Reed and Hall reportedly fled from members of the Howard County Drug Task Force.

Police say Reed tried to run over one officer and threatened to kill other officers during the brief chase on the city’s north side.

Hall pleaded guilty to a cocaine charge and was sentenced last year to six years in prison.