Suspect Arrested After Police Pursuit in Shawnee County

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities in Shawnee County are currently investigating a suspect who was apprehended following a pursuit by law enforcement officers in the early hours of the morning.

According to Deputy Abigail Christian, the incident began just after 1:30 a.m. on March 11 when a sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Honda motorcycle in the 1600 Block of NE Quincy Street in Topeka.

However, the driver of the motorcycle refused to comply with the deputy’s instructions, leading to a high-speed pursuit. The chase eventually came to an end when the motorcycle crashed on the Shunga Trail near Garfield Park, plunging into a pond filled with sewage water.

The driver, later identified as 36-year-old Brandon S. Riley from Topeka, then fled into a sewage tunnel. Deputies gave chase and eventually apprehended Riley inside the tunnel.

Riley now faces a slew of charges, including speeding, driving the wrong way on a one-way road, driving on a sidewalk, failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, driving while license suspended, interference with law enforcement, driving with improper registration, and using a license plate not assigned to the vehicle. Additionally, he was wanted on a warrant issued by the city of Topeka.