A 41-year-old man appeared Wednesday in court for allegedly trying to flee Austin police two days earlier on an all-terrain vehicle by driving the wrong way on U.S. 218.
James Terrance Cooley, 2013 Third Ave. N.E., is charged in Mower District Court with a single count of felony fleeing police in a motor vehicle as well as lesser charges of interfering with a 911 call, domestic assault, fifth-degree assault, fourth-degree driving while impaired, reckless driving and resisting arrest.
On Wednesday, a judge set bail for Cooley at $20,000 without conditions or $2,000 with conditions, including that Cooley have no contact with the alleged assault victim and her family, records show.
According to the criminal complaint, Austin police responded about 9:40 p.m. to U.S. 218 South and Oakland Avenue East, where Cooley had been driving a four-wheel ATV in pursuit of a 31-year-old woman driving a van.
Cooley, who knows the woman, allegedly crashed the ATV into the rear of the van and tried to drive away, nearly striking an approaching Austin police car. Cooley drove north on the southbound side of U.S. 218, the complaint says.
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An officer reported needing to swerve to avoid a collision with the ATV after two officers driving south on U.S. 218 saw Cooley driving the ATV toward them.
Cooley then headed west on Sixth Avenue Northeast before driving in between homes, the complaint says. He eventually slowed down on 19th Street Northeast but drove past an officer who had gotten out of his car.
A fourth officer arrested Cooley in the 700 block of 19th Street Northeast. Cooley was showing erratic behavior and complaining of rib pain, the complaint says. Police reported using a stun gun to arrest him.
Cooley was taken to Austin Medical Center for evaluation of his rib pain, possibly from his collision with the van.
Cooley, who returns to court April 15, allegedly told police he had smoked marijuana earlier in the evening as well as took the prescription drug Adderall, a controlled substance. Police took a blood sample from Cooley.
Officers had responded several hours earlier to a northeast Austin home for a report of Cooley allegedly kicking an 11-year-old girl's leg and preventing her mother from talking with police on the phone. He fled the scene prior to police arriving.
