Homeless man shot during skid-steer chase remains hospitalized after 5 months
A 36-year-old homeless man, who led Mobile police on a harrowing interstate pursuit on a skid-steer loader, remains hospitalized and unable to attend his court hearings nearly five months after being shot by an officer.
Joseph Jones, 36, was to have been at a Mobile County District Court hearing on the charges Thursday morning but the judge reset it after his attorney appeared and said Jones was still in the hospital.
The judge then ordered Jones to appear on Aug. 21 to face both arraignment and a preliminary hearing on multiple charges related to the bizarre police chase along Interstate 10 aboard a stolen Kubota skid-steer on Jan. 30.
According to authorities, Jones did not obey an initial police traffic stop and fled, ramming the loader into at least one Mobile police vehicle, causing major damage to it.
Video of the incident showed the skid-steer loader striking one police car during the chase. Police have also alleged that Jones attempted to strike an officer with the loader.
The pursuit occurred on westbound Interstate 10 near U.S. 90. At one point, Jones traveled eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-10, before turning back around and exiting the interstate at Exit 15B back towards U.S. 90.
The pursuit was eventually ended after officers shot Jones. He was struck, and TV outlets have since reported that he is paralyzed. It’s unclear how many police officers fired at Jones.
Jones faces multiple criminal offenses including resisting arrest, theft of property, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, attempting to elude, and attempted assault.