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NANTICOKE — A man detained in handcuffs during a traffic stop ran away from a city police officer and jolted in front of moving vehicles in an escape attempt on Tuesday, court records say.
Police said they stopped the driver of a Pontiac Vibe for an expired inspection sticker on Kosciusko Street at about 5:30 p.m.
The driver identified himself as Scott Davis at which police were unable to verify. Police allege the Pontiac was registered to a deceased person and the driver was unable to provide a reason to why he was driving the vehicle.
As the driver was handcuffed, he broke free from custody and ran into heavy traffic on Kosciusko Street, police said.
Police chased the driver to East Main Street that also had heavy traffic. An officer deployed his Taser as the driver ran into traffic, police said.
Police identified the driver as Jeffrey Junior Ray, 23, of South Grant Street, Wilkes-Barre.
A records check revealed Ray had an active warrant for his arrest by Wilkes-Barre Township police alleging he stole a backpack from a vehicle in the parking lot of Wegmans on Aug. 20, court records say.
Ray allegedly told city police he attempted to escape because he was wanted.
Ray was arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Ferris Webby in Luzerne County Central Court on charges of escape, resisting arrest, false identification to law enforcement and three vehicle citations. He was also charged by township police with two counts of theft.
Ray was jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $15,000 total bail.