The Deerwood man who led authorities Tuesday night on a high speed chase in Brainerd, striking police squads and then crashing himself, admitted to being under the influence of drugs during the incident, according to court documents filed Friday.
A Minnesota State Patrol trooper was attempting to pull Jessey Duane Johnson over because his Jeep Grand Cherokee had a headlight out. Instead of stopping for the trooper, Johnson fled and racked up multiple criminal charges in the process.
Johnson, 22, was charged Friday in Crow Wing County District Court with eight felonies, a misdemeanor and a petty misdemeanor. Felony charges include two counts of first-degree assault by using deadly force against a peace officer; two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon to cause bodily harm; fifth-degree drug possession; first-degree property damage with foreseeable risk of causing bodily injury; third-degree property damage with a value more than $1,000; and fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. Johnson also faces misdemeanor driving after revocation and petty misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
The first-degree assault with deadly force charge alone carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or a $30,000 fine.
Johnson had his first appearance in front of Cass County District Judge Jana Austad. In court, Johnson requested to be represented by a public defender. Austad set unconditional bail at $150,000 or conditional bail at $75,000. Conditions include Johnson can't enter any bars or liquor establishments, can't possess any dangerous weapons, can't leave the state and must make all court appearances and be law abiding.
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Austad set Johnson's omnibus hearing for 9 a.m. Tuesday.
According to the criminal complaint filed against Johnson, Nick Diederich of the state patrol was on a routine patrol on Highway 210, also known as Washington Street, in Brainerd when he observed the Jeep exit McDonald's parking lot with a passenger front side headlight that was inoperable. Diederich began to follow the Jeep at speeds of 41 mph in a 35 mph speed zone. As the Jeep attempted to make a left turn onto North Fifth Street, the trooper activated his emergency lights in an attempt to perform a traffic stop.
The jeep did not turn left and Johnson "blew the stop sign" at Fifth Street and Kingwood Street, the criminal complaint read. Johnson led the trooper and other law enforcement officers through north Brainerd, northeast Brainerd and into southeast Brainerd, where the Jeep began traveling west on Laurel Street against one way traffic, where Brainerd Police Officer Brady Prince had positioned his squad car in an attempt to block the intersection of Southeast 13th Street and Laurel Street, the complaint read. The Jeep did not stop and continued toward it at a high rate of speed at which point the officer braked his squad car. The Jeep, however, did not stop and collided head-on with the squad car.
Another Brainerd police officer, Joel Reed, was in pursuit of Johnson and observed him traveling toward 13th Street Southeast. Reed unsuccessfully attempted to pin the Jeep against the damaged police squad, but it continued driving away. Reed continued to follow the Jeep along the railroad tracks back toward 13th Street Southeast, the complaint read.
As the officer was pursuing the Jeep, he observed it travel at a high rate of speed directly in front of a third officer's squad car, driven by Brainerd Police Sgt. Paul Dooley. The complaint read, "... it appeared to Officer Reed that the SUV was attempting to hit Sgt. Dooley's squad head-on. Sgt. Dooley was able to avoid direct contact with the suspect vehicle."
Both officers pursued to Southeast 13th Street and Oak Street, where Dooley was able to strike the Jeep near the left rear tire causing it to flip over onto its right side and come to a stop.
Officers escorted Johnson out of the Jeep and arrested him.
Law enforcement search of the vehicle revealed a glass pipe with burnt marijuana residue and a plastic straw with white powder residue inside. Officers also found 170 grams of marijuana in the glove compartment, the complaint read.
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The trooper indicated that Johnson was under the influence of a controlled substance and said he admitted to being high. Johnson was taken to Essentia Health-St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd for staff to obtain a blood sample for testing.
The complaint said Prince's squad car had extensive damage and two other police squads were damaged during the pursuit.
Johnson also was charged this year with two counts of fifth-degree drug possession. In 2012, he was charged with second- and third-degree burglary.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.
