Burglary suspect arrested after long chase and negotiation

A multi-county search Wednesday that started in Daviess County ended peacefully in northern Dubois County.

The chase began after the man was found possibly breaking into a residence in rural Daviess County. The man, 26-year-old Lee Seals, of Loogootee, had backed his truck up to a residence on CR 950 South and a witness had told him to leave and then called the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department.

A few minutes later, a caller claiming to be Seals’ mother contacted the Sheriff’s Department and told them that her son had just passed police vehicles that were responding to the scene. She told dispatchers that her son was threatening to harm himself with a gun if police approached.

The caller then called back a few moments later to inform dispatchers her son had run out of gas in a field in Dubois County near Portersville Road and 500 West.

The Dubois County Sheriff’s Department responded to assist in finding Seals and using Seals’ own cellphone signal, police were able to determine Seals’ location.

Seals had threatened to harm himself if approached by police so a negotiator with Indiana State Police was dispatched to the area to help apprehend Seals. About an hour later Dubois County Sheriff Donnie Lampert was able to take Seals into custody.

The firearm Seals possessed was traced to a burglary in Daviess County.

Seals was turned over to Daviess County Sheriff’s Deputies and was transported to the Daviess County Security Center where he is facing charges of Theft, Burglary and Possession of Stolen Property.