On 10/16/2017 at 2258 hours the Waite Park Police Department was dispatched to a threats complaint that happened in the parking lot of Cash Wise Foods. An individual performing parking lot maintenance in a street sweeper reported he was approached by a male individual in a vehicle. Upon making contact with him, the suspect started to yell and scream at him and advised him if he didn’t stop what he was doing he was going to kill him. The individual feared for his safety and retreated to a different area of the parking lot, where he then called the police. The individual reported that the suspect vehicle continued to drive erratically and squealing its tires in the parking lot. Officers responded to the scene and attempted to stop the suspect vehicle, which was still in the parking lot driving in circles. Upon officers turning on their emergency lights, the vehicle fled the scene.
The vehicle fled northbound on Waite Avenue and then east on Division Street, where it entered Highway 15. Pursuit speeds reached approximately 100 mph. Several agencies assisted with the pursuit. Stearns County Sheriff’s Department and Kimball Police Department attempted to deploy stop sticks on the suspect vehicle. The stop sticks were successful in flattening one tire on the suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle then turned around and started back to the north. Another set of stop sticks were deployed and another tire on the suspect vehicle was flattened. The pursuit continued with speeds varying from 50 mph to 70 mph. Upon re-entering the St. Cloud area, State Patrol deployed another set of stop sticks. They were successful in deflating the remaining two tires.
Due to all four tires being flattened and the suspect vehicle running on the rims, the suspect driver had a hard time controlling the vehicle but continued at speeds in excess of 50 mph. The suspect continued towards Royalton, where assisting officers from Morrison County were able to PIT the vehicle (Pursuit Intervention Tactic) and take the suspect into custody. The suspect was subsequently identified JASON MICHAEL ASHWILL, age 47, of Dassel, MN. He was transported to the Stearns County Jail where he is being held on the charge of Felony Flee Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle and Damage to Property.
There were no injuries reported and three Waite Park squads sustained minor tire damage. The Waite Park Police Department was assisted by Stearns County, MN State Patrol, Kimball PD, Cold Spring PD, Morrison County, and Little Falls PD. The chase lasted 59 minutes and covered 64 miles.
***Addition: The suspect vehicle later started on fire and the Little Falls Fire Department was dispatched to the scene, on Hwy 10 south of Little Falls, to extinguish the fire.
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