photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World File Photo

A Lawrence Police Department vehicle is seen in this file photo from September 2018.

Lawrence police officers arrested a man following a five-minute pursuit that covered about 4 miles and reached speeds in the 70 mph range, according to a spokesman for the Lawrence Police Department.

Jefferson County authorities notified LPD around 4 p.m. Monday that a vehicle stolen out of that county might be in Lawrence, LPD spokesman Patrick Compton said via email. Officers were then notified around 5:17 p.m. that a firearm might be in the vehicle.

An officer then saw a white SUV that matched the description of that vehicle parked in the 2300 block of Iowa Street a few minutes later, Compton said.

“After confirming the vehicle as stolen, the officer attempted to approach the suspect who was standing outside of the SUV at the time,” Compton said. “When the officer approached, the suspect got back in the SUV and attempted to flee.”

The pursuit ensued, reaching speeds in the 70s and spanning about 4 miles, Compton said. The suspect eventually circled back to approximately the same block of Iowa Street and attempted to flee on foot before being apprehended, Compton said.

“Despite the time of day, and moderate amount of traffic, officers were able to contain the pursuit and the suspect without any injuries or significant damage to property,” Compton said.

Officers recovered a firearm from the vehicle when the suspect was apprehended, Compton said. There were no passengers in the vehicle.

Trey Eric Alford, 26, of Eudora, was booked into the Douglas County Jail Monday evening and on Tuesday was charged in Douglas County District Court at a first appearance held via Zoom videoconference.

Alford is charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, fleeing or attempting to elude police, criminal possession of a firearm by a felon, reckless driving and possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia.

The judge set Alford’s bond at $50,000 cash or surety in the new case, but he was not able to bond out because of other holds as of Tuesday afternoon. Should he make bond, he is to have pretrial supervision with GPS monitoring. His next court appearance is set for June 2.