The McKinley County Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest affidavit for a Gallup man accused of evading law enforcement at a traffic stop before dangerously speeding through intersections and parts of the city.
Michael Charley managed to avoid seeing officers again on the night of Nov. 26, after they conducted a traffic stop and advised him he would receive a warning citation for speeding on Highway 602.
Still, using the identification card Charley had provided authorities, Deputy Terence Willie was able to submit the affidavit for numerous charges, including: aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, reckless driving, no registration, no insurance, failure to stop at a red light intersection and driving on a suspended license.
Initially, Willie had stopped both Charley and a black Dodge Challenger, which was in front of him, at Highway 602 in the evening hours. After Willie spoke with the occupants of the Challenger and gave them the all-clear, Charley sped off in his silver Nissan Sentra.
Traveling northbound on Highway 602, Charley was clocked at speeds of over 100 mph, according to the police report. On non-highway streets, the vehicle passed other cars using a median, failed to halt at stop signs or red lights and continued through the downtown Gallup area, the report stated. Willie alerted other officers of the pursuit, but later asked them to cease their efforts when it became clear Charley could not be caught.
Willie noted at the conclusion of his report no people, or vehicles suffered injuries as a result of this incident.
