JACKSON - A man who escaped from the police, drove away in a police vehicle, and was chased for several miles is sentenced to up to 40 years in prison. Ryan Cunningham was sentenced to 14-40 years in prison Thursday in a Jackson courtroom.
Cunningham was arrested at the Colonial Inn in Leoni Township in December of 2011. He was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car, where he managed to get through a barrier and drove away. Police from several agencies pursued Cunningham at high speed though a couple more counties before he crashed the police vehicle.
Cunningham had been operating a meth lab at the hotel. A short-barreled shotgun was also found in the room.
Cunningham was set to go to trial this month, but pleaded guilty to maintaining a meth lab, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, possession of a firearm by a felon, car theft, and fleeing police.