According to a press release obtained by our newsroom from District Attorney Chris Stanford:
On the afternoon of Thursday, July 25, 2024, in the area of Old Highway 8, McMinnville Police Department Detective Chris McCormick and Warren County Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant Justin Colwell performed a traffic stop on a white Chevy Impala driven by Leanne Cantrell and passenger Michael Wright Jr. The officers had prior knowledge of outstanding arrest warrants and charges against Wright. Further, Colwell and McCormick possessed credible evidence that Wright made previous threats of physical harm to law enforcement agents should he have any encounter law enforcement due to his fugitive status.
Upon effectuating the traffic stop, Lieutenant Colwell approached the driver’s side of the vehicle while Detective McCormick approached the passenger side. With guns drawn, the officers ordered Cantrell and Wright to exit the vehicle. Cantrell then put the car in reverse, causing the officers to chase the car on foot. Lieutenant Colwell was able to reach the car, open the driver’s side door, and remove Cantrell from the vehicle. Wright reached down in his waistband, but Detective McCormick used his discretion and did not fire his service weapon at Wright.
It was then that Wright reached over with his left arm and placed the car in drive. He then placed his left foot on the accelerator and steered the White Impala with his left hand before transitioning into the driver’s seat of the White Impala. Wright proceeded to evade law enforcement as he traveled toward the McMinnville city limits. After securing Cantrell, Lieutenant Colwell and Detective McCormick then returned to the patrol unit and subsequently located Wright’s Chevy Impala wrecked at the intersection of Harrison Ferry Road and Shellsford Road. It appears that Wright hit the embankment in front of EMS Station 4, sending the car flying through the parking lot, where it struck and damaged parked vehicles belonging to employees of the EMS station. Fortunately, there were no injuries during the accident. Upon searching the Impala for Wright, Lieutenant Colwell and Detective McCormick quickly determined that Wright had run on foot from the scene of the accident. Upon a subsequent search of Wright’s crashed Chevy Impala, law enforcement agents located two police scanners, approximately 172 grams of a white crystal-like substance believed to be Methamphetamine, a loaded AR-15 magazine, and other rounds of ammunition.
During a thorough search of the area surrounding EMS Station 4, McMinnville Police Department Captain Ben Cantrell and his team located Wright, hiding in a storage shed. Wright was ordered to keep his hands in plain view and was subsequently taken into custody without further incident. Leanne Cantrell was subsequently charged with Accessory after the Fact, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, and Driving on a Suspended License. After being served with his outstanding warrants and the new charges arising from Thursday’s high-speed chase, Wright was charged with a Violation of Probation, Two (2) counts of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, Simple Possession of a Schedule III Drug, Simple Possession of a Schedule II Drug, Simple Possession of a Schedule VI Drug, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Unlawful Interception of Radio Frequency while Fleeing, and Evading Arrest by Motor Vehicle. Wright’s bail was set at $385,000 on the new charges and he is being held without bond on the violation of probation. Cantrell’s bail was set at $230,000. Both remain incarcerated in the Warren County Jail at the time of this release. Additional charges are expected to be brought against the pair at an upcoming session of the Warren County Grand Jury.
Chief Mosley, Sheriff Matheny and I are thankful that no one was seriously injured in Thursday’s incident. Clearly, Wright and Cantrell’s criminal conduct could have resulted in tragedy. We also want to thank the courageous law enforcement officers that put their lives on the line, yesterday and every day, to make sure our community is safe from the criminal element. Our law enforcement partnership is very strong, and we will continue our tireless work to remove dangerous drug dealers from our streets.