Man arrested in high-speed chase

CLOVIS — With a note of thanks to the community, the Clovis Police Department announced it has arrested a man in connection with a dangerous high-speed chase two weeks prior.

A CPD release Tuesday reported Blake Turl, 19, was identified as the driver in a July 7 chase that began near Eighth and Sycamore and was canceled near 21st and Echols out of public safety concerns.

According to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Curry County Magistrate Court, the driver of a blue Dodge Stratus later identified as Turl fired a handgun in the pursuing detective’s direction several times during the chase.

Turl has been in the Curry County Adult Detention Center since July 9, when he was booked for failure to pay fines after an interview with the CPD regarding the chase. He has since been charged with aggravated fleeing of a law enforcement officer, assault with intent to commit a violent felony upon a peace officer, tampering with evidence and injuring or tampering with a motor vehicle.

Lt. Trevor Thron of the CPD told The News the charges weren’t filed until Tuesday because poilce didn’t have enough probable cause to connect Turl to the chase until an additional witness was located and interviewed July 15.

Turl is being held in pretrial preventive detention, with a hearing scheduled for Monday afternoon. An attempt to contact Turl’s attorney, Francis Rio, was unsuccessful.

According to the complaint:

• Following a July 8 Facebook post asking for public assistance identifying a suspect in the chase, a pair of anonymous tips led police to Turl.

• When officers visited Turl’s home, they located a Dodge Stratus painted black and red. Officers noted a strong smell of paint and discovered numerous paint cans in a trash bin beside the vehicle.

• During execution of a search warrant, officers found a .22 caliber revolver with a holster and two spent casings.