The manhunt leading to the capture of fugitive Cody A. Conkright Tuesday was not the first time he’s ran from the police, authorities said.
Conkright, 28, Crawfordsville, was wanted on charges stemming from a Sept. 27 incident when he fled a traffic stop, court records show.
That afternoon, police say a Crawfordsville officer attempted to stop Conkright’s motorcycle on Mill Street for not having an endorsement. A two-block pursuit ensued until Conkright ditched the bike and ran on foot.
When the patrolman caught up to him a short time later, Conkright punched the officer, giving him a bloody nose, police said.
Conkright was carrying a backpack containing a .22 caliber revolver and more than 60 THC-filled vape cartridges in separate packages bound with a rubber band, according to court records. THC is the high-inducing compound in marijuana.
Conkright was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and later released on $15,000 bail. He failed to appear in court at the scheduled time for his initial hearing Oct. 11,
records show, and the judge issued an arrest warrant.
The warrant was pulled half an hour later when Conkright showed up to the courtroom, according to court records.
The judge ordered bail revoked in November when court papers sent to Conkright were unable to be forwarded. Conkright then failed to appear for another scheduled hearing Monday, records show.
Conkright’s vehicle was spotted the next day on Lafayette Road and Crawfordsville police attempted to make a traffic stop. Conkright led officers from Crawfordsville, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana State Police on a nearly two-hour manhunt along Sugar Creek.
A police dog helped track down Conkright in a field near Concord Road. The dog bit the fugitive under the armpit, Sheriff Ryan Needham said. Conkright was treated at Franciscan Health Crawfordsville for injuries Needham described as minor.
Conkright remains in jail on charges of dealing and possession of methamphetamine, failure to appear and resisting law enforcement.
A jury trial is currently set for 8:30 a.m. Feb. 25 in Montgomery Circuit Court.
