Foot chase at New Stanton motel leads to arrest, drug overdose

A man state police said they chased around a New Stanton motel for allegedly driving under the influence this month was arrested Sunday.

Eugene Lamar Davis, 49, is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $10,000 bail. He is charged with drug possession, flight to avoid apprehension, driving on a suspended license and related offenses.

Troopers were patrolling the parking lot of the New Stanton Garden Inn on West Byers Avenue on Sept. 11 at 11:30 p.m. when they spotted a vehicle pulling into the lot with an expired registration, according to court papers.

Davis, who did not have an address listed in court paperwork, was identified as the driver. Police said his license had been suspended from a past drunken-driving conviction and he was wanted for a drug case and parole violation.

Davis fled inside the motel and troopers chased after him through the first floor hallway, out a door and around the building before tackling him on the street, according to court papers.

An ambulance was called after troopers learned Davis had ingested heroin and cocaine when he spotted police in the parking lot. The trooper administered two doses of naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal drug. Davis was hospitalized.

Troopers have been carrying naloxone since 2015. There have been 125 opioid overdose reversals in the county between November 2014 and June 2018, according to state data.

Police retraced the route of the foot chase and found a plastic bag containing a cereal box. Inside the box was what authorities believe was cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana.

A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 30. Davis did not have an attorney listed in online court records.

Davis’ criminal history in Westmoreland County dates back to 1992, according to online court records. His parole was revoked in August in a 2018 endangerment and obstruction case filed by North Belle Vernon police.