Prosecutors have dismissed a criminal case against a Texas man suspected of leading police on a 50-mile chase from Silverton to Hermosa, in which he evaded two sets of spike strips during the pursuit.

Sixth Judicial District Attorney Christian Champagne said that during the course of an investigation it was learned Kyle Gene Gammill suffered from mental health issues. He has since addressed those issues, Champagne said, and is back in Texas and “by all accounts is doing well.”

“We made the decision that it wasn’t the best use of our resources and the justice system to pursue criminal charges any further, and that’s why we dismissed it,” Champagne said Friday.

Gammill, who was 30 at the time, was accused of knocking over a trash can June 12, 2020, in the 1300 block of Greene Street in Silverton.

San Juan County Sheriff Bruce Conrad tried to stop Gammill, but Gammill fled in a black Dodge pickup with Texas license plates, according to an arrest affidavit.

Gammill drove through several stop signs and eventually made it to U.S. Highway 550, where he drove north toward Red Mountain Pass before turning around and driving south toward Durango, according to the affidavit.

The San Juan County undersheriff deployed spike strips northwest of Silverton, but Gammill avoided those and continued south on Highway 550 over Molas and Coal Bank passes, which reached speeds of 97 mph.

A second set of spike strips was set up south of the Glacier Club in La Plata County, but Gammill also avoided those.

Gammill surrendered 3 miles later, near Hermosa.

He was cooperative with law enforcement, but he was apparently armed with a loaded pistol and a shotgun.

Gammill’s driver’s license listed his hometown as Odessa, Texas, but law enforcement said he told officers he has lived in Grand Junction for the last three to four years.

Gammill was charged with criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, and eluding a police officer, a traffic offense, Champagne said.

Champagne acknowledged Gammill fled law enforcement at a high rate of speed, but he said the decision to dismiss charges was based on the fact that Gammill appeared to address the underlying concerns, “which again, really seem to be the mental health concerns.”

The charges were dropped in October.

“The fact that he took steps to make sure this would never happen again by addressing his mental health concerns made us feel like it was not in the interest of justice to extradite him from Texas and prosecute him,” Champagne said.

Gammill reached out to The Durango Herald last week about his case, but he did not immediately respond Monday to a request seeking comment.

shane@durangoherald.com