photo by: Kansas Department of Corrections

Sean Michael Foster

A Topeka man allegedly led multiple law enforcement agencies on a chase through Lawrence and into Johnson County with a woman and three children in his vehicle, law enforcement officials said Friday.

Lt. David Ernst of the Lawrence Police Department said the man was originally being sought in connection with an incident that occurred on Wednesday. Ernst said the man reportedly threatened one person with an ax and battered another person, then left the scene before police arrived.

Around noon on Friday, Ernst said, an officer near the intersection of 31st and Iowa streets saw the suspect’s vehicle and tried to pull it over. But the vehicle fled, and the officer lost sight of it at around 23rd and Iowa streets, Ernst said. University of Kansas police officers then spotted the vehicle near the KU campus and pursued it for a short time but were unable to stop it, Ernst said.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office spokesman George Diepenbrock said deputies joined the chase when the vehicle was on its way out of Lawrence. They followed the vehicle east on Kansas Highway 10, but Diepenbrock said the vehicle “maneuvered the wrong way into oncoming westbound traffic” and deputies “attempted to disable” it. However, Diepenbrock said the vehicle was able to leave the highway in Johnson County, turning onto Edgerton Road.

Diepenbrock said the vehicle went into a field and got stuck, and the driver then attempted to flee on foot. He was apprehended and turned over to the Lawrence Police Department, Diepenbrock said.

Also in the vehicle were a woman and three children, ages 9, 5 and 3, Diepenbrock said. They were examined by medics for possible head injuries and cuts on the face, and the children were taken to Children’s Mercy Hospital, he said.

In a statement emailed to the Journal-World, Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister said “we are very relieved this incident came to an end without tragedy or catastrophic consequences due to (the suspect’s) actions.”

Sean Michael Foster, 33, of Topeka, was booked into the Douglas County Jail on Friday afternoon on suspicion of aggravated endangerment of a child, fleeing from law enforcement, criminal damage to property, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic battery and criminal threat, according to the Douglas County Jail booking log.

Foster has previous convictions for theft, battery, and fleeing from law enforcement, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records.