INDIANAPOLIS, IN – A reckless flight from Indianapolis police ended with 33-year-old Patrick Owens of Indianapolis sentenced to 115 months – over nine years – in federal prison. Owens pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a charge stemming from a brazen April 2019 incident that put lives at risk.
The trouble began when an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officer pulled Owens over on Binford Boulevard for a routine traffic stop. Owens, already a prohibited person due to prior convictions for resisting law enforcement, carrying a handgun without a license, and burglary, immediately raised red flags. When asked if he had any weapons, he claimed he didn’t – a lie quickly exposed when he opened the center console, revealing the bottom of an extended handgun magazine.
Instead of complying with the officer’s commands, Owens slammed the car into gear and bolted, initiating a dangerous high-speed pursuit that snaked through Indianapolis streets and onto major interstates. The chase reached speeds exceeding 86 miles per hour, with Owens fishtailing across three lanes and violently colliding with an Infinity SUV. Even after the impact, he continued to flee, weaving through a construction zone on 96th Street before losing control and crashing into a power pole.
Owens didn’t stop there. He abandoned his wrecked vehicle and attempted to escape on foot, initially clutching the loaded extended magazine before discarding it. IMPD officers quickly apprehended him and recovered the magazine, containing 25 live rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded semiautomatic handgun, along with 21,300 dollars in cash and two additional loaded magazines.
The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker, who also ordered three years of supervised release upon Owens’ eventual departure from federal prison. The defendant will also be responsible for $6,778 in restitution, covering damages to the Infinity SUV and related insurance claims. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation, with crucial support from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana and ATF Special Agent in Charge Daryl S. McCormick announced the sentence, emphasizing that this case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry D. Glickman prosecuted the case, securing a significant penalty for a repeat offender who demonstrated a blatant disregard for public safety.
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