Man Tasered After Allegedly Fleeing from Police

An early morning vehicle stop on Route 378 in Lower Saucon Township led to a foot pursuit that ended in the City of Bethlehem when a man was tasered, township police said in a press release.

According to the release, Miguel Espinosa, 40, of the 1800 block of 11th Street, Bethlehem Township, was observed switching seats with a passenger after his vehicle was stopped for alleged traffic violations at 4:08am Sept. 10.

When questioned, police said Espinosa gave them false information about his identity, and when the officer conducting the stop returned to his vehicle, they say Espinosa exited his car and "ran into the woods."

At that point, police say Officer Jeremy Hantz pursued Espinosa on foot through the woods and into the front yard of a residence, where Espinosa fell off a five-foot ledge before continuing to flee north on Route 378 into the City of Bethlehem.

"At this point, Miguel (Espinosa) reached into his pocket and threw a bag of cocaine in someone's front yard," the press release said.

Espinosa was subsequently tasered once, which "had no effect," police said. He was then tasered again, struck by both probes, felled, and taken into custody.

After being treated at St. Luke's Hospital for lacerations and cuts suffered in the fall from the ledge, police said Espinosa was arraigned in front of District Judge David Tidd on charges of fleeing and eluding police, DUI, possession of cocaine, false ID to police, reckless endangerment, escape, resisting arrest and driving on a suspended license (DUI-related).

He was released on $2,500 unsecured bail, police said.