By SUE ELLEN ROSS – Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – A 41-year-old Ponchatoula resident will face a long list of charges when he shows up in court.

According to police reports, George Allen Schumacher was causing a disturbance in the parking lot of Gator’s Den Lounge on U.S. Highway 51 South, at approximately 8 p.m. on April 25.

When Deputy Thomas Young and Cpl. P. Foret arrived on the scene, they found about 10 people surrounding Schumacher’s white Dodge pick-up truck. They were attempting to keep him from leaving the scene, as he seemed intoxicated.

Deputy Young activated his flashing lights after pulling into the parking lot and at that time, Schumacher turned his car toward the police car, hitting it head-on. When the deputy exited his vehicle in an attempt to stop Schumacher, he almost struck him with his vehicle. Deputy Young had to jump back into his car to avoid being hit, according to the police report.

Deputy Young reported that Schumacher was laughing as he drove away.

He fled northbound on U.S. Highway 51, toward Ponchatoula at a high rate of speed. The deputy and Cpl. followed closely. They observed the truck forcing other vehicles off the road, on both sides of the highway on three separate occasions.

Schumacher was finally apprehended and arrested on South Railroad Ave. in Ponchatoula with assistance from the Ponchatoula Police Department and Louisiana State Police.

After being transported to Ponchatoula Police Department, he was booked as a fugitive from St. John Parish, and released into Young’s custody.

He was then transported to River Parishes Hospital, Schumacher refused medical treatment. He was then transported to ESJO Corrections for booking, where an outstanding contempt of court warrant was found still outstanding. Deputy Young then returned to the Emergency Room at River Parishes Hospital, where he was examined and diagnosed with whiplash.

Schumacher was charged with aggravated flight from an officer (traveling against traffic flow); aggravated flight from an officer (leave/force vehicle from the road); aggravated flight from an officer (exceeding speed limit by 25 MPH); resisting an officer by resistance/violence; criminal damage to property; obscenity (four counts); reckless operation of a vehicle (two counts); safety belt use; open container law; operating vehicle while license is suspended; contempt of court; expired license plate; DWI-second offense; hit-and-run driving; and attempted first-degree murder of a police officer (two counts.)