Guilty Pleas From Rochester Man For 2 Police Chases Over 2 Days

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Rochester man has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from two separate law enforcement chases last month, including one that resulted in injuries to a law enforcement officer.

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 criminal complaint says the vehicle was registered to a person whose driver's license had been canceled-inimical to public safety.

Stole Vehicle in Front of Deputy

The deputy stated that the driver refused to identify his male passenger, who also refused to identify himself and avoided looking at the deputy. While confirming registration and insurance information in the squad car, the deputy observed the driver exiting the vehicle and walking toward him.

Photo by Andy Brownell TSM Rochester

At nearly the same time, the criminal complaint says the passenger moved to the driver's seat and sped away. The driver then began yelling that the vehicle was stolen and told the deputy to pursue it.

Wanted on Active Arrest Warrant

The court document says deputies later identified the man who sped away in the vehicle as 28-year-old James Michael Kenyon, who had a revoked driving status and was wanted on an active arrest warrant.

Another Pursuit Involving Another Deputy

Two days later, another Olmsted County deputy spotted a suspected stolen vehicle in Byron. After confirming the vehicle had been reported stolen, court documents say the deputy attempted a traffic stop, but the driver sped away at speeds reaching 90 mph.

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The criminal complaint in that case says 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 speeding driver nearly collided with a Kasson Police Department squad car and ran through at least three stop signs in Kasson.

Smashed Into Squad Car

The pursuit, which began around 1:45 AM, ended when the fleeing vehicle crashed into the Olmsted County deputy’s squad car, resulting in significant damage. A statement issued by the Sheriff's Department indicated the collision was strong enough to activate the squad car's airbags and resulted in minor injuries to the deputy.

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Drugs Found

The fleeing motorist, who was later identified as Kenyon, surrendered after the crash. The criminal complaint says a little over two grams of methamphetamine was found in one of his pants pockets, and a small amount of methamphetamine was found in a container in the vehicle.

In that case, Kenyon was charged with felony drug possession, receiving stolen property, and fleeing police. He was also charged with felony counts of vehicle theft and fleeing police, along with misdemeanor obstruction of the legal process and driving after revocation in connection with the earlier incident in Eyota.

Plea Agreement For Both Incidents

Under a plea agreement worked out with Olmsted County prosecutors, Kenyon today entered guilty pleas to all of the charges stemming from the Eyota incident and a felony count of fleeing police for the chase that ended with the crash involving the squad car. The drug possession and receiving stolen property charges were dismissed.

Previous Conviction

The Olmsted County Attorney's Office has indicated that it plans to request a two-year prison sentence for Kenyon, who was previously convicted of vehicle theft and illegal possession of a firearm in 2024.

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Gallery Credit: Troy Dunken