6-Foot-3 Suspect Leads Police On Chase in Tiny Car
Beals is accused of ramming his SmartCar into one officer's squad car, flattening a tire and forcing the officer to terminate the pursuit.

A 6-foot-3, 225-pound man reportedly crammed himself and a passenger into a tiny SmartCar to flee police who suspected him of stealing from a cellphone store at Southlake Mall in Hobart, IN, on Sunday, according to court records.
Antoine Beals, of Chicago, faces one count each of criminal confinement and theft, and four counts of criminal confinement, all felonies, NWI.com reports.
Beals allegedly cut security cords on four Apple iPhone cellphones on display at the T-Mobile storefront in the mall and fled the store with the stolen merchandise, according to detectives.
At about 1:04 p.m., Lake County dispatchers told police Beals was witnessed running around the J.C. Penney parking lot with a revolver and then entering a silver-colored rental SmartCar.
Officers chased the car to an industrial area in the 2000 block of Woodlawn Avenue in Griffith, where the suspect hit two marked Hobart police cars before striking a third and pinning an officer inside, police say.
Beals is accused of ramming his SmartCar into one officer's squad car, flattening a tire and forcing the officer to terminate the pursuit. Once surrounded by police in the parking lot at Bulkmatic Transport, Beals allegedly accelerated his SmartCar, pinning one officer's left leg and hand between two vehicles, records show.
A Griffith officer reportedly fired a shot into the Smart car when the suspect hit police vehicles and attempted to flee.
No one was struck by the gunfire, and Beals and his passenger were taken into custody.
More Patrol

Streamlight Marks 15 Years of Support for Breast Cancer Research Foundation With $20k Donation
In its 15th year of supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Streamlight donated $20,000 to help in the fight against cancer. Donations were generated through the sale of special Wedge XT models and other pink flashlights.
Read More →
Police-Led Mental Health Charity Expands to Include Veterans
Talk To Me Post Tour (TTMPT), a non-profit organization that has been providing peer-support programs and professional psychological support for first responders, is now expanding services to military veterans.
Read More →
WakeMed Campus Police Officer Killed in Hospital Shooting
A WakeMed Campus Police Officer died after being shot in the lobby of the emergency department at a North Carolina hospital over the weekend.
Read More →
Video Shows Barricaded Suspect Fall Through Ceiling and Into SWAT Custody
Deputies in Indian River County, Florida, apprehended a suspect after he fell through the ceiling with SWAT members waiting below. The sheriff’s department released video of the apprehension.
Read More →From the Show Floor: T2 Systems
Learn about T2 Systems and its electronic parking enforcement solutions. Retired Chief John Holland outlines the benefits of using such a system to manage parking enforcement.
Read More →
Texas Police Department Adds Reconview Tower
A Texas police chief shares how the Decatur Police Department will use its new Reconview observation tower.
Read More →From the Show Floor: Traka
Join POLICE as we visit with Steve Atkinson of Traka and learn about the company’s asset management cabinets and key lockers.
Read More →
Team Wendy Shares New DREW Data During Personal Armour Systems Symposium
Team Wendy shared data about DREW, a biofidelic helmet-test rig built to simulate real head-to-ground falls and capture both linear and rotational head motion, during the recent Personal Armour Systems Symposium in Belgium.
Read More →
2026 US Police and Fire Championships to Unite First Responders in San Diego for 59th Annual Event
The 2026 US Police and Fire Championships, featuring more than 35 Olympic-style events and new competitions, will return to San Diego, California.
Read More →
FOX News Channel’s FOX & Friends to Host Live Audience for National First Responders Day
In honor of National First Responders Day, FOX News Channel’s FOX & Friends will host a live audience made up of first responders and their families. Police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and other emergency personnel have been invited to attend the live program.
Read More →
