Prison Sentence for Rochester Man After High-Speed Chases

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man was given a prison sentence today for convictions stemming from two separate law enforcement chases in February, including one that resulted in injuries to a law enforcement officer.

Police Chase Began With Traffic Stop in Eyota

According to court documents, the first incident occurred around 3 AM on February 7 when an Olmsted County Sheriff's deputy initiated a traffic stop in Eyota. The deputy stated that the driver refused to identify his male passenger, who also refused to identify himself and avoided looking at the deputy.

The criminal complaint says the deputy was in his squad car confirming registration and insurance information when he saw the driver exit the vehicle and walk toward him. At nearly the same time, the passenger moved over to the driver's seat of the vehicle and sped away.

Photo by Andy Brownell TSM Rochester

Wanted on an Arrest Warrant

The deputy later identified the fleeing motorist as 28-year-old James Michael Kenyon, who had a revoked driving status and was wanted on an active arrest warrant.

Suspected Stolen Vehicle Reached 90 MPH

Two days later, a different Olmsted County deputy on patrol in Byron spotted a suspected stolen vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. The criminal complaint says the driver responded by fleeing at speeds reaching 90 mph.

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The court document describes how a Dodge County deputy attempted to stop the fleeing vehicle, but the driver managed to swerve out of the way. It was also reported that the driver of the stolen vehicle nearly collided with a Kasson Police Department squad car and ran through at least three stop signs in Kasson.

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Crashed Into Squad Car

The pursuit, which began around 1:45 AM, ended when the fleeing vehicle crashed into an Olmsted County Sheriff's Office squad car. According to court documents, the law enforcement vehicle sustained significant damage, and the collision was strong enough to activate the airbags and result in minor injuries to the deputy.

Methamphetamine Found After Crash

The driver of the stolen vehicle, who was later identified as Kenyon, surrendered after the crash. The criminal complaint says a little over 2 grams of methamphetamine was found in one of his pants pockets, and a small amount of the drug was also found in a container inside the vehicle.

Kenyon was charged with felony drug possession, receiving stolen property, and fleeing police. He also faced felony counts of vehicle theft and fleeing police in connection with the earlier incident in Eyota.

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Plea Agreement, Prison Sentence, and Restitution

Court documents indicate he entered into a plea agreement in late March and admitted to all of the charges connected to the Eyota incident and the felony fleeing police charge for the chase that began in Byron and ended with the collision involving the squad car.

Kenyon, who was previously convicted of vehicle theft and illegal possession of a firearm two years ago, was sentenced today to 25 months in prison. He was given credit for 95 days he has already served in jail and was ordered to pay nearly $8,300 in restitution.

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