An early morning high-speed chase on Interstate 12 involving the Slidell Police Department, St. Tammany Sheriff’s deputies and Louisiana State Police troopers ended with the arrest of three Tennessee men after they allegedly burglarized a Slidell pharmacy Sunday.

It all started around 12:30 a.m. when Sgt. Robert Cromwell of the SPD noticed a pickup truck backed up to the front of the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy on Robert Boulevard. Slidell police spokesman Capt. Kevin Foltz said as Cromwell was turning around to investigate, the truck took off at a high rate of speed. Though Cromwell gave chase, the suspects managed to lose him in a nearby neighborhood. The police officer went back to the drugstore and discovered it had been burglarized. Other police units searched the area, but were unable to locate the truck.

Then K-9 officer Kevin Rea decided to search on I-12 going west. Just as he passed the Lacombe exit, Rea spotted the truck, and he got behind the suspects, who then speeded up to over 100 mph, according to Foltz. Rea called the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police, and asked them to set up a spike strip at mile marker 60 on the interstate. While chasing the truck, Rea said the suspects continued at high speeds, passing other cars on I-12 by using the shoulder of the road.

The truck hit the spike strips, deflating its front tires forcing it to stop at the top of an overpass. The driver of the truck, Demicko D. Smith, 33, of Memphis, Tenn., got out of the truck, but refused to follow police commands. He started to run away, but was tackled by a trooper and a deputy, Foltz said. The two passengers in the truck did not give any resistance and were taken into custody. Smith continued to resist officers, and Rea had to use a Taser on him in order to put handcuffs on, Foltz said.

Police found Hydrocodone and other narcotics which had been taken from the Slidell pharmacy in the truck.

Smith was charged with simple burglary of a pharmacy, possession of stolen property, aggravated flight from an officer and resisting an officer. Marcus Y. Walker, 38, and Willie L. Thomas, 32, both from Memphis were each charged with simple burglary of a pharmacy and possession of stolen property.

After they were booked, the three men were taken to St. Tammany Parish Jail where bond will be set. Foltz said all three suspects have “lengthy criminal histories.” The SPD has contacted the Drug Enforcement Agency to check for any unsolved pharmacy burglaries in Louisiana and other states. By press time Tuesday, Foltz said the DEA had not come back with any information.