On 12/22/17 at 5:33 p.m., Columbia Police Department Street Crimes Unit detectives and Vice Narcotics and Organized Crime detectives attempted to locate at wanted subject, Jeremy Gerlach for an outstanding felony warrant. During the course of their investigation, detectives learned that Gerlach was in possession of firearms and has made threats to shoot/kill law enforcement officers.

Detectives located Gerlach and a front passenger in a vehicle parked on the south side of Days Inn located at 900 I-70 Drive Southwest. Gerlach and the passenger were in silver Chevy Impala with a Missouri registration.  Detectives parked their patrol vehicle behind the Impala with their emergency lights activated.  Detectives observed both Gerlach and the front passenger reaching around in the vehicle. As detectives approached on foot, the Impala drove over the parking bumper as Gerlach fled in the vehicle. As other officers responded to the area, Gerlach served to go around a patrol vehicle and the Impala struck an electric pole.

As officers approached the vehicle on foot, Gerlach and the front passenger continued to reach around the vehicle. After hearing the engine rev, a Street Crimes Detective used the patrol vehicle to pinch in the rear of the Impala to prevent further escape and further danger to officers on foot. Detectives gave verbal commands for Gerlach and the passenger to exit the vehicle but they refused. While Gerlach was still in the vehicle, he was reaching towards the center console area.  Officers located a loaded handgun in between the driver's seat and the center console.

While the front passenger, identified as Justin Ewing, was still in the vehicle, he was reaching toward the driver's side rear floorboard of the vehicle. Officers observed a handgun in plainview on the front passenger side floorboard of the vehicle.  Officers had to break both front windows in the vehicle to extract both occupants and they were taken into custody.

Officers searched Gerlach and located the following:  

•  $348.00 in cash
•  Large plastic baggie which contained 5 smaller baggies of marijuana with approximately 23.06 grams and a plastic baggie of methamphetamine which weighed approximately 2.54 grams
•  Glass methamphetamine pipe with chunks of methamphetamine inside weighing approximately .49 grams.

Gerlach was arrested for the following: Possession of Controlled Substance Felony, Property Damage in the First Degree, Resisting or Interfering with an Arrest Felony, Unlawful for Certain persons to Possess Concealed Weapon, Unlawful Use of Weapons Felony, Distribution/Delivery/Manufacture/Produce Controlled Substance, Use or Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and a Felony Parole Violation No Bond Warrant for the original charge of Obstructing Police.

Offices searched Ewing and located a black shoulder holster on him. While officers searched the Impala, a baggie of marijuana approximately less than 10 grams was located on the driver's side rear floorboard where Ewing was reaching. Officers located the following on the front passenger floorboard:

•  Loaded stolen .40 cal handgun which fit the shoulder holster that Ewing was wearing.
•  Glass marijuana bong
•  Travel bag containing broken Alprazolam pill, digital scale, and three glass methamphetamine pipes.

Officers located a duffle bag in the rear of the vehicle that contained the following: two handgun holsters and a size 91/2 tennis shoes, the same size of shoe that Ewing wore at the time of his arrest.

Justin Ewing was arrested on the following: Possession of Controlled Substance Felony, Possession of Controlled Substance Misdemeanor, Stealing Felony, Unlawful for Certain Persons to Possess Concealed Weapon, Unlawful Use of Weapons Felony, and Use or Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

                                                           2017-014002