USC, Columbia Law enforcement stake out Wheat Street to no avail
USC Police Officer Dustin Currier noticed the "suspicious vehicle," and initiated a traffic stop at 12:30 a.m., according to a Monday afternoon press release from USC police.
The release said when the vehicle — a red 2002 GMC Yukon — came to a halt, the three suspects in the car fled the scene.
Currier immediately called for reinforcements, requesting USC police as well as Columbia City Police. The combined force, which included a K-9 unit, combed the surrounding area, including USC's East Quad, for the suspects until almost 4 a.m., USC police Capt. Eric Grabski said.
The suspects were not apprehended.
"At 3:49 a.m., [the units] felt they had exhausted all means at the scene, and then they left," Grabski said.
He added that though the suspects were not captured, the USC community was never in any danger. He said, after evaluation at the scene, the evidence indicated the crime was nonviolent.
"There was never any jeopardy to our community," Grabski said. "We thoroughly and professionally evaluate situations like this. There were no weapons involved. It was a property crime; someone stole a vehicle."
He nevertheless stressed that police took all means necessary to ensure the safety of the USC community and that the evidence obtained from the vehicle will be processed and used to continue the investigation.