Meth suspect arrested after high-speed pursuit ends at Tuscaloosa Walmart

By Stephanie Taylor Staff Writer

A Tuscaloosa County man was arrested early Sunday morning after a high-speed chase that ended inside the crowded Tuscaloosa Walmart.

Steven Bertrand Dawson, 52, is facing several charges, including trafficking methamphetamine, attempting to elude law enforcement and reckless endangerment.

The pursuit began when Dawson attempted to escape agents with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force. Authorities had not officially released information regarding the incident as of Sunday afternoon.

Videos and photos taken by bystanders quickly circulated on social media late Saturday night. Videos show several law enforcement vehicles chasing a truck to the front of the crowded Walmart on Skyland Boulevard around 10 p.m. Witnesses have said a portion of the pursuit occurred in the westbound lanes of Interstate 20/59. It appears that the right front tire of his truck had been spiked by the time he crashed at the west entrance of the store.

Raven Bosch took one of the videos a photo that has circulated on Facebook. She saw law enforcement vehicles passing by the front door before several customers running inside the entrance before the truck crashed.

"The cop in front said 'drop!' and he dropped where the self-checkout lines are," she said. Between eight and 10 officers had who followed Dawson inside took him into custody, she said.

One officer can be heard on her video saying "Quit resisting" before Dawson was led from the store in handcuffs.

Dawson was charged with attempting to elude law enforcement, reckless endangerment, trafficking illegal drugs, failure to affix a tax stamp and giving a false address. His bond was set at $1,533,000.

His criminal history includes drug possession, domestic violence, theft and reckless driving charges. He pleaded guilty to a 2004 charge of making terrorist threats after a high-speed pursuit through a trailer park, according to court records. A Brookwood Police officer reported that, after that pursuit, Dawson threatened to beat an officers, saying he would go to his house. He also told the officer not to go near his residence because he "had a right to bear arms."

The Tuscaloosa Police Department is expected to release further information about the incident.

His most recent arrest was in November, when Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's deputies conducted a traffic stop and found a cut straw and broken glass pipe with meth residue, according to court records. Officers recovered several baggies of meth in a canister under the seat. Dawson and another occupant of the car denied knowledge of the drugs. They were charged with possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, and indicted by a grand jury on the charges in February.

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