Law officials continue to search for a Fulton man who drove his truck into the Auxvasse Creek on July 3 while attempting to evade Callaway County Sheriff's deputies.
Three warrants for the arrest of John D. Belisle, 37, of Branch Road in Fulton, were filed Friday in the 13th Judicial Circuit Court, Callaway County.
Belisle is described as a white man, just more than 6 feet tall and 240 pounds.
Belisle's father, Wendell "Scott" Belisle, said Friday his son's erratic behavior is drug induced, and he hopes his son can receive help.
"He needs to talk to somebody and get some help," Wendell Belisle said. "If the only way they can do it is the penitentiary, that's the way it needs to be."
According to law enforcement, on July 3, a deputy observed a white GMC Sonoma turn north from Branch Road onto County Road 123. The vehicle had no registration plates and was stopped by deputies. The driver identified himself as John David Belisle; a female passenger was also in the vehicle. The deputy stated he knew Belisle from previous contacts and attempted to arrest Belisle. Belisle then ran, attacked the deputy, and drove north on County Road 123 in a careless and impudent manner at speeds reaching 60 mph.
The Sonoma wrecked in a ditch just south of state Road JJ. A load of appliances fell off the truck and landed in the ditch. The truck then drove through a stop sign and continued north on state Road JJ, then east on County Road 136, then onto County Road 139.
The probable cause statement states, "Belisle purposefully drove the Sonoma into the flooded Auxvasse Creek at approximately 40 mph. As the truck was floating in the flood water, (the deputy) ordered Belisle to come to the bank of the river. Belisle exited the vehicle and swam into the current of the flood water in the opposite direction. Due to the fast-moving flood water, I could not navigate the bank of the creek fast enough to keep visible contact with Belisle."
Belisle, the statement also said, was out on bond for failure to register as a sex offender and resisting arrest for a felony from an Oct. 31 incident where he reportedly fought with deputies in an interview room during an arrest.
Charges on the first warrant, for $10,000 cash only, include four counts:
A class D felony of resisting arrest while in the process of being arrested on a felony domestic assault charge by a law enforcement officer,
Assault of a law-enforcement officer in the third degree,
A class A misdemeanor of failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, and
A class A misdemeanor of careless and imprudent driving.
The second warrant, for $3,000 cash only, includes one count for a class A misdemeanor of resisting an arrest. Attached to that warrant is another statement of probable cause that states deputies in three marked patrol cars went to a Branch Road residence at 6:31 p.m. July 5 to arrest him for several pending felony charges, including the July 3 incident and a second-degree domestic assault charge from a June 12 incident. He was observed by an officer standing outside a camper and fled into the woods and escaped.
The third warrant, for $11,000 cash only, includes three counts, including two class C felony charges of second-degree domestic assault against two individuals and a class A misdemeanor of third-degree domestic assault. All these charges stem from a June 12 incident.