05/05/09

After he made a turn without signaling, police say, Hoosier rocker Henry Lee Summer led police on a short chase and tossed meth from his car, according to a probable-cause affidavit. Once the officers stopped him, he refused to cooperate until they used pepper spray.

He was charged Thursday with methamphetamine possession.

Summer, 53 -- whose real name is Henry Lee Swartz -- fled police late Tuesday through a subdivision just north of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, according to the affidavit. After he stopped, the affidavit says, he resisted arrest until Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer Kevin LaRussa used a burst of pepper spray.

The officer decided to pull Summer over after his black Ford Explorer turned onto 30th Street from a parking lot without using a turn signal, the affidavit says.

Summer faces charges of possession of methamphetamine and obstruction of justice, both Class D felonies, plus two counts of resisting law enforcement. Summer, who was released from jail without bond, has an initial hearing set for Tuesday.

After the driver turned into the subdivision, the officer reported seeing him toss an object out the window. Police later found a small box containing 0.1 gram of crystal meth, the affidavit says.

Summer has a slate of Central Indiana concerts scheduled this year, according to his MySpace page. His career peaked in the 1980s with hits that included "I Wish I Had a Girl (Who Walked Like That)" and a cover of the song "Hey Baby."

He was sentenced to a year on probation after a September 2006 incident in which he admitted to driving drunk through a Far-Eastside mobile home court, smashing into cars, trucks and at least one mobile home.

Court records show Summer later served time in jail after violating probation.