A man who was in court back in January for sentencing on his fourth DUI case was behind the wheel of a vehicle again on Friday, and led law enforcement on a pursuit before being arrested.

Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir issued a news release Monday afternoon. 

He reports that just after 8 p.m. on Dec. 8, a trooper with Kansas Highway Patrol attempted to stop a vehicle in Great Bend. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, Gavin Allen, age 50, of Wichita, reportedly drove off at a high rate of speed.

“Due to the speed of the vehicle and traffic conditions at the time, the trooper opted to terminate the chase,” Bellendir reported. About 30 minutes later, Sheriff’s deputies encountered the vehicle northbound on U.S. 281, still traveling at a high rate of speed.

“Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle and it again fled. During the course of the chase, the vehicle struck one of the Sheriff’s Office vehicles. The pursuit ended a short time later,” the sheriff said.

Allen was booked on charges of felony attempt to flee and elude, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer and criminal damage to property. He is being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond. Further charges may be sought from the earlier pursuit with the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Previous convictions

Gavin was in Barton County District Court back on Jan. 13 for sentencing. In September 2022, a Barton County jury convicted him of felony DUI and transporting an open container. This was Allen’s fourth DUI conviction in the last nine years. (See https://www.gbtribune.com/news/local-news/allen-sentenced-fourth-dui-nine-years/).

After hearing the arguments of the parties regarding sentencing, District Court Judge Carey Hipp sentenced Allen to one year in the county jail; she suspended that sentence and granted Allen probation after Allen served the mandatory minimum sentence of 90 days, and paid the mandatory fine of $2,500.