K9-Unit assist in catching Palmer man

PALMER -- Alaska State Trooper Michael Wooten chased a 1997 Lincoln Towncar down the Old Glenn Highway last week in a high-speed pursuit, reaching speeds over 100 mph, while a shower of sparks spewed from the Towncar's muffler as it drug along the highway.

In an affidavit filed at the Palmer Courthouse, Wooten wrote that at approximately 1:15 a.m. on July 9 he saw a large cloud of dust along the Glenn Highway at Marth Road and as he drove by he saw the two red tail lights of a white Lincoln Towncar. Shawn Starr, 31, of Palmer, was in the Towncar and when Wooten turned around to check out the car, Wooten drove out of the ditch, sparks flying, and headed north down the Old Glenn Highway.

According to the affidavit, Wooten turned his siren and lights on, but Starr refused to stop as he sped down the road, swerving over the center lane several times and almost crashing. Starr then reportedly turned east down Maud Road, going over 100 mph in a 45-mph zone before losing control of his car at about mile 2 of Maud Road and crashing into the tree line.

According to Wooten, Starr then got out of the Towncar and fled into the trees. Wasilla Police Department K-9 Officer John McNeal and his dog Hero were called to assist Wooten in apprehending Starr.

McNeal said tracking Starr was difficult due to thick devil's club and other undergrowth in the woods.

"The devil's clubs were everywhere," McNeal said Thursday morning. "I had a hundred prickle marks the next day."

McNeal said Hero is trained to track disturbances in the ground and after about 45 minutes the dog found Starr hiding under a bush.

"You could have sent a hundred guys in there and not found him without a dog," McNeal said. "In three years it was probably the most difficult track we've ever done."

After Starr was apprehended, Wooten spoke to Starr's parents, who said the Lincoln Towncar was theirs. Wooten said the parents told him Starr knows he is not allowed to drive their vehicles because he does not have a driver's license.

Starr was transported to Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility and charged with felony DUI, first-degree vehicle theft, felony eluding, felony refusal, and driving with a revoked license. Starr's bail was set at $25,000 cash.

Contact Joel Davidson at joel.davidson@frontiersman.com.