Rockford man charged with possessing machine gun after chase with Indiana State Police

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

A man was charged with possessing a machine gun after leading police on a chase Monday morning on Interstate 94 near the Lake and Porter County line.

Brandan Williams, 19, of Rockford, Illinois, was charged with possessing a machine gun, resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, and two misdemeanors of resisting law enforcement and recklessly operating a vehicle in a work zone with workers present.

Indiana State Police said around 4 a.m., Trooper Jace Haddon observed a white Audi traveling 110 miles per hour in the construction zone eastbound on I-94 at the 16-mile marker.

A traffic stop was performed on the Audi and it pulled over west of the Burns Harbor exit. As Trooper Haddon walked up to the car, the driver drove off at a high rate of speed, and a pursuit was initiated.

The driver pulled over a second time on the inside shoulder and as Trooper Haddon was conducting a felony stop on the suspect, the driver drove away again at a high rate of speed. This time, the driver drove across all lanes of travel and was hit by a semi also traveling eastbound.

The Audi came to rest on the ramp to the Burns Harbor/Porter exit. The driver of the semi was not hurt.

While troopers were attempting to take the two occupants of the vehicle into custody, the driver attempted to run back to the car. After a brief struggle, Trooper Haddon was able to arrest the driver.

While searching the Audi, troopers found a fully automatic Glock 45 9-millimeter with a switch and $15,980 in cash.

Williams was incarcerated at the Porter County Jail.