For the third time this year, a Peoria man faces charges after he was arrested following a police chase.
Brian K. Bearce, 37, was spotted by a Tazewell County Sheriff's Deputy just after midnight Sunday. The deputy recognized Bearce for his outstanding traffic and felony warrants during an attempted traffic stop at Derby and 14th Street in Pekin.
Police said Bearce refused to pull over. During the pursuit, police said Bearce pointed a handgun out his vehicle window at a deputy. The chase ended when Bearce struck a vehicle at Sheridan and 8th.
Police said Bearce then engaged in a brief standoff with police, holding a handgun to his head and asking police to kill him. He ran away a short time later and was found hiding behind a bush near a house. Police twice shot him with bean bag rounds from a shotgun, then tased him.
Bearce was then arrested for aggravated assault, unlawful use of weapons, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, reckless driving, driving on a suspended license and fleeing or attempted to elude peace officer. No one suffered serious injuries in the incident, deputies said.
On April 27, Bearce was arrested after allegedly he stole a car following a domestic battery incident at a Pekin home. He was arrested on felony fleeing, assault, and firearm charges after a low-speed pursuit ended in his arrest.
On April 7, Bearce was arrested after a high-speed pursuit on Interstate 74 in Peoria around 3 a.m. According to an Illinois State Police report obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request, a state trooper spotted Bearce headed west on I-74 from the Knoxville ramp at an estimated 100 miles per hour.
The report states Bearce got off the ramp at Sterling, going about 68 miles an hour. Bearce headed down Reservoir and eventually got out of his vehicle on Rochelle after swerving erratically and opening the driver-side door while his vehicle was still moving.
The troopers wrote Bearce hid his right arm behind his back and cursed at the troopers. He was not compliant with their demands to show his hands, they wrote. He then turned and ran towards the Rochelle Estates apartments.
A trooper found Bearce on Rochelle and tased him. The trooper tased Bearce a second time near Sharon Health Care, 3535 N. Rochelle. He was apparently unfazed both times and continued to run, ignoring trooper commands to stop and drop to the ground.
Bearce was again tased in the parking lot of the Community Workshop and Training Center. At this point, troopers wrote he dropped to the ground and complied with their demands. A trooper wrote he later admitted he was overdosing on crystal methaphetamine.
Bearce was arrested then on several charges, including driving under the influence, aggravated fleeing, and possession of a controlled substance.
In total, there are currently five oustanding warrants for Bearce's arrest in Tazewell and Peoria counties.
