During the months of September 2022 and October 2022, the Nether Providence Police Dept. received numerous 911 calls in the 400 block of Leiper Street, in the Township's South Media section. The nature of the calls ranged from physical fights and disputes to carrying and displaying firearms. All of these calls were apparently related to an ongoing neighborhood dispute. On Wednesday, October 26th, 2022, at approximately 2007 hours, officers were receiving several calls of "shots fired" occurring in the 400 block of Leiper Street. Officers were in the area on an unrelated call for service and could hear approximately six (6) gunshots. Officers arrived in the area within seconds and observed a black Dodge Challenger fleeing the area at a high rate of speed. Officers tried to stop the vehicle on Vernon Street with lights and siren activated and the vehicle eventually stopped in the 600 block of Vernon Street. As officers approached the vehicle, the driver put the vehicle in reverse and struck an occupied truck. The vehicle then fled again disregarding officers and public safety. At some point during the attempted stop of the vehicle, the driver of the vehicle lost control and crashed onto the front lawn of a residence on Ronaldson Street. The driver then exited the driver's side door and fled on foot. A passenger in the vehicle was detained on the scene as officers searched the area for the driver with negative results. No injuries were reported from the crash, or the shots fired.
After securing a search warrant for the suspect vehicle, multiple items of evidence were recovered inside including a handgun, several loaded magazines, and the personal identification of the owner of the vehicle. After an extensive investigation by Detective Erickson of the NPPD, an arrest warrant was issued for Leslie James Clements for multiple weapons and traffic charges.
