Rochester Man Headed to Prison For Latest Attempt to Flee Police

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Rochester, Mn (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man with a long criminal history has been sentenced to 17 months in prison for a felony conviction stemming from a high-speed chase that occurred in Oronoco in August while Gold Rush Days were taking place.

47-year-old Frankie Hanson Senior earlier admitted to a felony count of fleeing police in a motor vehicle. Under the terms of his plea deal, several misdemeanor charges were dismissed.

He was arrested on August 18 after he sped away from a State Trooper who had responded to a report of a domestic assault in the storage business in Oronoco. The law officers responding to the incident were advised that the suspect was attempting to start a fire and the person was known to law enforcement for his reputation of being uncooperative and dangerous in his interactions with officers.

The criminal complaint stated that Hansen was traveling at a high rate of speed and disregarding stop signs and "other basic traffic laws" while he was being pursued by the State Trooper. At one point, Hanson stopped but then "lurched" his vehicle forward about a foot at a time while he argued with law officers ordering him to exit his vehicle.

The court document says he then sped away again but was later tracked back to the storage facility. According to the charges, Hanson remained belligerent and refused to exit his vehicle before the law officers involved in the incident deployed a Taser. The criminal complaint says the shock from the device allowed the officers to wrestle Hanson into a squad car and transport him to the Olmsted County jail.

His court record shows a criminal history in Olmsted County dating back more than 20 years. It includes convictions for false imprisonment, felony criminal sexual conduct, aiding and abetting robbery, and felony assault.

His activities also attracted news media attention this past May after deputies attempted to serve an arrest warrant on Hanson and he responded by jumping into the Zumbro River north of Rochester. The police report on the incident says he floated down the waterway until officers jumped into the river and took him into custody.