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Man in custody after leading police on chase across central Indiana counties in stolen Ohio school bus

Sgt. Stephen Wheeles tweeted a photo of the bus in a field at 11:46 a.m. and said the chase came to a "safe conclusion" with a suspect in custody.

SHELBY COUNTY, Ind. — Indiana State Police took a person into custody Tuesday morning after allegedly leading police on a chase through multiple Indiana counties in a stolen school bus.

Sgt. Stephen Wheeles tweeted a photo of the bus in a field at 11:46 a.m. and said the chase came to a "safe conclusion" with a suspect in custody.

According to Wheeles, multiple police vehicles and property were damaged during the chase in Decatur and Shelby counties, but nobody was injured.

State police said later Tuesday the bus was stolen from the Cincinnati area. The stolen bus was first spotted by a Batesville police officer and two state troopers on I-74 near Batesville. 

The driver of the bus, who was the only person on board, was identified as 32-year-old Chad Avery Murdock, of Cincinnati. He refused to pull over as the officers attempted a traffic stop, leading police on an hourlong chase that, at times, went off-road in yards and fields, as well as traveling on State Road 421, State Road 9 and several county roads. 

Credit: Indiana State Police

The chase ended around 11:15 a.m. when officers were able to deploy a tire deflation device, which deflated the tires of the bus. Murdock stopped the bus in a field off Shelby County Road 25 East, near Shelbyville.

He was taken into custody without further incident, police said.

Murdock is being held on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement, criminal recklessness with a vehicle, possession of stolen property and criminal mischief in Decatur County.

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