Eunice man led police on high-speed chase, police say

A 48-year-old Eunice man wanted on a home invasion charge decided he would lead police on a chase from Eunice to a plowed field north of Rayne Wednesday afternoon, Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot said.
Francis Melvin Fortson Jr. was wanted on home invasion and aggravated assault with a firearm charges stemming from incident on Oct. 18 in Eunice.
In the home invasion, Fortson pulled up to a residence in Eunice in a stolen truck, went inside the house and pulled the gun, Fontenot said.
The homeowner got out of his chair and started punching Fortson, he said. Fortson was next chased out of the house, he said.
At 3:22 p.m., Eunice Police Detective Robert Brickley spotted Fortson at East and Maple driving an Isuzu pickup truck.
Fortson turned the pickup south on La. 13 and led a pursuit that would go back and forth across northern Acadia Parish sometimes at speeds up to 100 mph, Brickley said.
Fortson faced a motor vehicle theft charge in Acadia Parish, he said.
Five Eunice Police and two City Marshal units were initially involved in the pursuit, he said. Some of the Eunice units dropped out of the pursuit, but State Police, Acadia Parish Sheriff and Rayne Police units joined the pursuit, he said.
Police vehicles attempted to cut the pickup truck off to no avail.
Brickley said Fortson finally made a mistake when he turned on La. 35 and then Eastland Lane, which is a dead end road.
The pickup was driven around a house but encountered a swimming pool, which forced Fortson to drive over a levee and into a plowed field, he said.
Fortson, surrounded by police vehicles, eventually stopped and surrendered, he said.
There were no injuries or damage to any other vehicles, Brickley said.
Besides the charges in Eunice, Fortson is charged with aggravated flight from an officer, theft of a motor vehicle, theft of a firearm and criminal trespass in Acadia Parish.