A Westminster man was arrested Tuesday following a series of events that led him to strike a deputy’s patrol vehicle.
At 5:21 p.m. Sunday, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the 1400 block of East Mayberry Road for a suspicious vehicle with a person lying down in the driver’s seat, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies found a black Toyota Sienna partially in the roadway in front of the entrance to St. Mary’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
A deputy approached the vehicle and found the driver leaning back in the driver’s seat with his eyes closed, according to the sheriff’s office. The deputy also found two open containers of beer in the cupholders and the vehicle’s engine running.
The deputy woke the driver by knocking on the window, but the driver then put the vehicle in drive, ignoring the deputy’s commands to stop, according to the sheriff’s office. The driver drove through the church parking lot, through the grass and back onto Mayberry Road.
The deputy was able to identify the driver as 36-year-old, Steven Lee Rankin, according to the sheriff’s office.
A short time later, another call was received stating that the Toyota Sienna had returned to the parking lot of the church, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies arrived and ordered Rankin to step out of the vehicle, but he accelerated and struck the deputy’s patrol vehicle. Rankin drove off with deputies pursuing, however, the deputies called off the pursuit after the driver crossed into Pennsylvania.
At 7:27 p.m. Sunday, deputies were notified that Rankin was back in Carroll County, according to the sheriff’s office. As a deputy approached the Toyota and ordered Rankin out of the vehicle, he accelerated forward and struck the deputy vehicle’s side mirror. Rankin drove down a gravel access road and into a cornfield where deputies were able to stop the vehicle in the fields behind the 3900 block of Littlestown Pike.
Rankin refused to comply with instructions from deputies and was removed from the vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office. When he continued to resist attempts to place him into custody, a Taser was discharged and he was handcuffed and medics were requested.
Rankin was transported to Carroll Hospital Center for evaluation, according to the sheriff’s office.
It was later determined that Rankin did not have permission from the owner to drive the Toyota Sienna and he was driving with a suspended and revoked driver’s license, according to the sheriff’s office.
A warrant was obtained charging Rankin with two counts of first- and second-degree assault, resisting/interfering with arrest, three counts of failing to obey reasonable/lawful order, unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle, trespassing on cultivated land and numerous traffic citations including reckless driving, attempting to elude law enforcement, consuming alcoholic beverages in a vehicle, driving under the influence and driving a vehicle not equipped with an ignition interlock as required by a program, according to the sheriff’s office.
Rankin was arrested and transported to Carroll County Central Booking Tuesday where the warrant was served.
