Cocaine dealer rams cop car, falls through attic ceiling during SWAT arrest: Scottsdale PD

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A convicted felon faces a laundry list of charges after authorities say he rammed a police vehicle during an undercover drug sting, forced his roommate to take the blame and later fell through an attic ceiling while hiding from SWAT officers on Tuesday morning.

What we know:

Andrew Lee Steele, 31, was arrested on July 7 at a home near 54th Street and Greenway Road following a brief barricade situation. He is charged with multiple felonies, including aggravated assault on a first responder, fleeing from police, possession of weapons by a prohibited person and multiple counts of possessing dangerous and narcotic drugs for sale. According to court documents, Steele's arrest follows a month-long investigation by the Scottsdale Police Department's Drug Enforcement Unit.

Timeline:

The investigation began in June when undercover detectives arranged to buy an "8-ball" of cocaine from an unnamed dealer, later identified as Steele. On June 3, detectives swarmed Steele's black BMW sedan in a Scottsdale parking lot to make an arrest. Police say Steele accelerated directly toward a detective, who had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit, before ramming the back of an unmarked police vehicle.

Steele then allegedly sped through the parking lot at speeds reaching 100 mph, nearly striking a second detective who had to accelerate out of the way. Authorities chose not to pursue the vehicle onto the main road due to the high risk to public safety. Police say Steele later admitted that he crashed his BMW in Phoenix during his escape, severely damaging its radiator.

The case takes a turn

The following week, Steele’s roommate reportedly called detectives, audibly trembling over the phone, and tried to take credit for the high-speed flight. Court documents say the roommate gave highly inconsistent details and ultimately confessed to the crime before asking if police were also looking for Steele, right before the phone line went dead.

Detectives tracked the pair to a north Phoenix home, where they spotted the damaged BMW and witnessed Steele conducting hand-to-hand drug transactions in the driveway. On Tuesday, police returned to the home with a search warrant. Steele initially barricaded himself inside and hid in the attic, but he fell through the ceiling into his bedroom and surrendered after officers deployed gas, according to court documents.

Dig deeper:

Following his arrest, police say Steele confessed to the original drug deal and the subsequent flight, apologizing for nearly striking the detective. A search of the home uncovered four rifles, a pistol, a drug sale ledger, digital scales and various quantities of suspected prescription pills, MDMA, Xanax and methamphetamine.

The Upshot:

Police noted that Steele had just been arrested the previous weekend by Tempe Police on drug and weapon charges, but he had been released from custody while prosecutors waited to formally file charges against him. He is currently being held on a $250,000, cash-only bond.

Crime and Public SafetyScottsdaleNorth PhoenixNews