A 31-year-old Centralia man has been charged with six felony offenses and multiple traffic tickets after leading Centralia Police first in a vehicle chase and later on foot.
Lamar Bennett of East Kerr reportedly reached speeds of 65 miles per hour in 30 mile per hour zones in the city when attempting to flee police. He allegedly attempted to flee on foot after his vehicle ran into a ditch at Gragg and Lincoln. However, Bennett was quickly apprehended by one of the city’s canine officers. Police say a loaded firearm he was carrying fell out onto the ground.
Bennett was charged with a Class X offense of armed violence that carries a mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison if found guilty. He faces another Class X charge for armed habitual criminal for allegedly having the nine mm handgun after a conviction for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Bennett was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, a charge that carries a mandatory three to 14 years in prison if convicted. Other felony charges include aggravated fleeing or eluding police, unlawful possession with intent to deliver 30 to 500 grams of cannabis and defacing ID marks on a firearm.
A public defender was appointed to represent Bennett. He was ordered held without bond under the new cashless bond law based on his criminal history that requires a sentence of imprisonment and posing a threat to the safety of any person or persons in the community.
Bennett is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on December 12th.
