Macy man gets 37 years after 2021 pursuit, SWAT call-out
Oct. 4—PERU — A Macy man who police say shot at a deputy during a high-speed chase in Miami County in July 2021 has now been sentenced to 37 years in the Indiana Department of Correction.
According to court records, Jason Fites, 46, was initially facing 15 felony charges, including attempted murder, for his role in the case.
In August, Fites pleaded guilty to the Level 1 count of attempted murder, as well as possession of a narcotic drug and possession of methamphetamine, both Level 3 felonies; three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, all Level 4 felonies; and resisting law enforcement, a Level 6 felony, per court documents.
The rest of the charges against him were dismissed.
Officials told the Tribune that Fites also has four years left on a prior unrelated sentence, so his sentence for these newest charges will begin after the successful completion of those other four years.
On July 13, 2021, officers from the Cass County Drug Task Force were conducting surveillance on a Peru hotel in search of Fites, who was wanted on a Tippecanoe County warrant for probation violation.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case, Fites eventually left the hotel in a GMC Sierra truck, and Indiana State Police troopers were called in to help conduct a traffic stop on Fites' vehicle.
Shortly before 1 p.m., ISP troopers attempted the felony stop near the intersection of 400 North and U.S. 31, per court records.
Police reports from the time note that Fites initially did stop before fleeing and leading officers on a 15-minute pursuit that periodically reached speeds of over 100 mph.
At some point during the pursuit, according to court records, the Miami County Sheriff's Office deployed stop sticks across the roadway, and that's when Fites reportedly shot at one of the deputies standing alongside the road as Fites drove past.
Police say the pursuit ended when Fites stopped the truck on Miami County Road 1100 North, ran into his residence and barricaded himself inside, court records noted, leading authorities to activate a SWAT team.
After two-and-a-half hours of negotiation, Fites eventually surrendered.
During a subsequent search of Fites' home and truck, authorities said they located what they believed to be 266 grams of methamphetamine, 133 grams of heroin and 5.6 grams of cocaine, as well as $5,800 in cash.
Police say that inside the truck they found a gun, loose ammunition and drug paraphernalia.
Two guns were also discovered in the bathroom of the house, one of which had been reported stolen, according to court records.
Kim Dunlap can be reached at kim.dunlap@kokomotribune.com or at 765-860-3256.
