MORLEY, Mich. (WZZM) -- The manhunt is over in the Mecosta County community of Morley.
After living in the woods for nearly 2 weeks avoiding helicopters, tracking dogs and swat teams, fugitive Alan Phelps, 35, peacefully turned himself in Wednesday afternoon.
"Eventually I knew I was going to have to give myself up," Phelps said minutes before police arrived to take him into custody at his parent's home in Morley. I just had to try and figure out a good way to do it."
"Mr. Phelps contacted members of our fugitive team," explained Lt. Kevin Sweeney of the Michigan State Police Lakeview Post. "It worked out. We were very happy with his cooperation."
Police have been trying to capture Phelps since May 23 when they say he refused to pull over for a traffic stop near Pierson in Montcalm County.
They say Phelps caused a head on collision by driving the wrong way trying to escape on US-131.
"Traveling southbound in the northbound lane," says Lt. Sweeney. "Hits a car. Miraculously, no serious injuries to the occupants."
Phelps is also wanted for assault with intent to do great bodily harm and assault with a dangerous weapon.
He says he was in a fight with friends of his ex-girlfriend during a visit to see his son.
"Went to visit my son and had some problems with some friend's of his mother's," admits Phelps. "It ended up going kind of badly."
Phelps says running and hiding from the police was instinctive, like an animal in the forest fleeing from danger.
"Fear and emotion kind of take over," he says.
But once he was in the woods, using his outdoor skills to forage for food and water, Phelps says he knew he wanted to turn himself in and face the consequences.
"When they first started the manhunt I was in the distance, hiding in the woods," he recalls. "A lot of cops started showing up. The SWAT team, tracking dogs and a helicopter flying around. I stayed hidden in the thickest woods I could find and tried to decide what my next step was. I knew I couldn't stay hidden. I knew I couldn't leave. I couldn't leave my family, especially my son."
When the State Police originally briefed reporters on the search for Phelps, they said he was facing 1st degree criminal sexual assault charges.
That was a mistake.
Investigators say it was a clerical error in the "LEIN" system and Phelps is not suspected of any sex crimes.
"The LEIN system is the Law Enforcement Information Network," explains Lt. Sweeney. "Whoever entered that LEIN entry entered it as a felony warrant for criminal sexual conduct. After we pulled the original warrant, actually got a copy of the warrant, there is nothing in it that relates