A Leesburg man was charged with possessing a firearm as a serious and violent felon following a police pursuit early Thursday morning. Sterling Ray Templeton, 34, of North CR 700E, Pierceton, was arrested for illegally possessing a handgun following the early morning vehicular chase that ended with the driver of the vehicle dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. Pierceton Police officer Matt Owens conducted a traffic stop on a black Dodge without registration but the vehicle fled, according to a probable cause affidavit filed with the prosecutor’s office. The vehicle came to a stop after it struck a corner post at the end of West Tower Street, Pierceton. Both the driver and passenger fled the scene and Owens said he heard a gunshot, the release states. Owens caught the passenger, identified as Templeton, and took him into custody. The driver, identified as Dalen Ousley, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. After searching the vehicle, officers found a handgun, the release states. Templeton was barred from owning a gun because of a conviction for robbery Dec. 14, 1998. He is being held in the Kosciusko County jail with a $20,000 surety bond.
