A Spartanburg man is behind bars Thursday morning after a wild chase that started in Lyman and one family is questioning whether or not the chase was necessary.
Robert Leon Foster, 21, faces a total of ten charges that includes reckless driving, forgery, and driving under suspension according to the jail website. He was scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge Thursday morning, but that has been moved to Friday.
The suspect was wanted on several forgery cases. Investigators say he sped past a Wellford officer at 90 miles per hour in a 35 m.p.h. zone. The officer tried to pull him over but the suspect kept going. Officers say they started following the suspected driver at the Food Lion on 300 Spartanburg Highway in Lyman. The pursuit ended at Arcadia and Foster Streets when the driver crashed. The chase lasted a total of six minutes.
News Channel 7 photographer Kris Sheehan recorded an officer yelling "Get down!" as they took Foster into custody.
Foster was booked into the Spartanburg County Detention Center around 1:30am Thursday.
One local family witnessed the chase and wondered if the police made the right decision in pursuing a non-violent offender at such a high speed.
One woman was saying goodbye to her sister and four-year-old niece when she heard sirens on Church Street when she looked up she said a car flew past her and her family, followed by police cars.
She said only moments before her sister was standing in the street.
"I commend the police for doing their job and catching the criminals but I think they need to make better judgement calls when they do these types of pursuing," she said.
The officers involved issued the following statement:
"No its not a violent crime but I think we have a duty and responsibility to protect the lives of our citizens. Our officers did not violate policy they followed policy they did not do anything wrong."
Foster faces a list of charges:
- Forgery
- Failure to stop for blue light 4th offense!
- Liquor law violation
- Driving under suspension 8th offense!
- Reckless driving
- habitual offender
- violation of NROC
Fosters bond hearing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Friday.
The map below shows the route of the chase, based on information provided by the Wellford officer who first saw the suspect's vehicle:
View Larger Map
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