Putnam Deputies Find Man 2 Days After Failed Stop, Chase

Larry J. James, aged 38, of 238 Nichols Street, Carmel faces multiple charges related to drugs and a high-speed chase through Putnam County.

At about 9:50 p.m. Oct. 21, members of the Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU) stopped a motorist who failed to stop for a red light on Route 52 in Carmel.

That is, they tried to.

Police said the driver of the car, subsequently identified as James, refused to comply with their verbal commands. Instead he fled, nearly striking one deputy, who leaped out of the path of the vehicle to avoid being struck. A second deputy, who had been reaching in the window in an attempt to pull the keys from the ignition, was struck by the door column of the vehicle as James sped away from the scene.

James headed out Route 301 to Peekskill Hollow Road. Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle but then decided to discontinue the pursuit due to safety concerns.

Fortunately, the deputies were not injured.

A bulletin was broadcast to area police agencies to be on the lookout.

James had been facing felony charges of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, felonies, as a result of an investigation into his sales of cocaine in Mahopac.

On Oct. 23, members of the NEU learned of a possible location in the Village of Ossining where James could be found. Investigators and Deputy Sheriffs from the NEU travelled to Ossining and, with the assistance of officers from the Ossining Police Department, located the residence where James was reported to have been staying. The officers contacted the owner of the residence, who confirmed that James was present, and persuaded James to come out without incident.

James was arrested and charged with Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a felony; Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a felony; Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree, a felony; Reckless Driving, a misdemeanor; and numerous vehicle and traffic violations.

Police said James has been convicted of numerous felonies in the past and is currently on parole in New York State. James was arraigned before Town of Carmel Justice Joseph Spofford and remanded to the Putnam County Correctional Facility.

If found guilty of the most serious of the felony charges, the defendant could face up to 25 years in a New York State Correctional Facility and a fine of up to $30,000.