A routine domestic disturbance call by Slidell police Tuesday morning turned into a car chase that ended when the pursued car carrying two children in the back seat rolled over into a ditch on Fremaux Avenue.

Slidell police spokesman, Capt. Kevin Foltz said that police responded to a domestic dispute call at a auto repair shop on Seventh Street at 9:30 a.m. When they arrived at the scene, a 2006 Chrysler Sebring driven by Harold Brown, 27, 4537 Viola St., New Orleans, was coming out of the driveway. Foltz said the police officer ordered Brown to stop and tried to block the Sebring, but Brown went around the police car and the police began to chase the car down Seventh Street and then east on Fremaux.

During the chase down Fremaux, Brown swerved from lane to lane, almost hitting several cars.

An overturned car lies in a ditch near the Summit Fremaux construction project on Fremaux Avenue. The car was involved in a chase with Slidell police and overturned after the driver hit the police car. (Staff Photo by Erik Sanzenbach)

When the chase got to the entrance of the Summit construction site on Fremaux Drive near the Interstate 10 interchange, the Sebring suddenly changed lanes and hit the front of the police car. Brown then lost control of his car. The Sebring fishtailed over to the edge of the road, and rolled over on its roof in the ditch.

When the police officer went to take Brown into custody, he noticed two small children hanging upside down only held in by their seat belts. Two police officers freed the children who were boys aged one and 2 years old. Luckily, neither child was hurt but they were taken to Slidell Memorial Hospital to be checked out by doctors.

Brown, who was also uninjured in the crash was still taken to Northshore Medical Center to be examined. At the hospital, Brown reportedly told the medical staff that “I always wear my seat belt when I run from the police.”

After Brown was treated at the hospital, he was arrested on charges of domestic abuse battery with child endangerment, aggravated criminal damage to property, aggravated flight from police, two counts of no child restraint, and two counts of cruelty to a juvenile.

According to the mother of the two children the incident started when she asked Brown, her ex-boyfriend, to give her a ride to her mother’s job so she could pick up her car.

On the way, Brown and the woman got into an argument. He was angry because she was talking on the cell phone and not paying attention to him. He pulled into the parking lot of the auto repair shop and began punching the woman in the head and face. The victim got out of the car and Brown followed her in the car yelling at her. That was when the police showed up and the chase began.

Brown was booked and transported to the St. Tammany Jail where a bond will be set.