Apr. 20—- A 40-year-old male is now in custody at the Kandiyohi County Jail after he reportedly fled law enforcement Saturday morning. According to a news release from the
, the suspect’s two juvenile boys were in the vehicle during the attempted traffic stop.
The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office said no injuries or property damage occurred during the chase. The mother of the two boys, ages 6 and 10, was able to take them away from the scene after the suspect agreed to pull over.
According to the news release, the incident was first reported around 9:02 a.m. Saturday, April 19. A Kandiyohi County deputy was conducting traffic enforcement in the road construction detour of Minnesota Highway 23 and 105th Street Southwest.
The deputy observed a truck entering the construction zone illegally and attempted a traffic stop. However, the truck continued fleeing westbound on Highway 23.
According to the news release, the driver took the detour around the detour signs, from the direction from which he had initially came.
The deputy observed children in the vehicle at the time of the stop. The driver, identified as a 40-year-old male from
, had called 911, stating he had his 6-year-old and 10-year-old boys in the truck with him.
Kandiyohi telecommunicators were able to keep the man on the phone during the pursuit to help establish a dialog. The news release stated speeds of the pursuit were relatively low, between 25 mph and 45 mph. There was a brief period during the chase when the truck reached speeds of up to 60 mph, despite light traffic in the area.
Deputies continued communicating with the driver through dispatchers and the man eventually agreed to pull over.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the driver came to a stop on 150th Avenue Southwest, near Kandiyohi County Road 7. The incident was de-escalated, and the suspect was taken into custody without further incident.
The driver is currently being held at the Kandiyohi County Jail on pending charges of fleeing police, child endangerment, and driving around a barricade.