A Delaware County man was committed to the Schuylkill County Prison after he led police on a chase through Tamaqua and into Coaldale on Wednesday.

During the chase, officers said Robert H. Fowler III, 21, of Wallingford, almost struck a Tamaqua officer and his patrol vehicle.

The alleged incident began just after 4 p.m., when Tamaqua police were alerted to a retail theft at the EZ Market in West Penn Township. Officers spotted a vehicle and driver that matched the description of the retail theft suspect.

Officers attempted to stop the driver, Fowler, but he continued driving on East Broad Street.

Police set up spike strips near the east end of the Sisters’ Cantina parking lot. Fowler swerved his vehicle into the other lane in an attempt to avoid the strips, narrowly missing Tamaqua Officer Matthew Junbaer and his vehicle.

According to police, Fowler struck the spike strips with his passenger side front tire, but he continued to flee. Police said he swerved into oncoming traffic multiple times.

The vehicle became disabled near Coaldale. It rolled back and struck a Tamaqua cruiser’s push bar. Jungbaer and Officer Richard Bekesy took Fowler into custody at gunpoint. He was turned over to the West Penn Police Department.

West Penn charged him with felony counts of fleeing or attempting to elude officer, retail theft and aggravated assault, along with two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and summary traffic offenses.

He was arraigned before Magisterial District judge David J. Rossi, who set bail at $50,000 cash.