UPDATE: Man in Custody After Chase, Manhunt on Frozen St. Croix River

UPDATE (9:05 a.m., March 4, 2013): North Hudson Police Chief Mark Richert has issued the following press release about the pursuit incident that began in North Hudson early Sunday morning:

On Sunday, March 3, 2013 at approximately 12:48 a.m., a North Hudson Police Officer patrolling the area of Fox Tree Lane N. and Sommers Landing Road N. located a running vehicle parked in the middle of the street obstructing the roadway, which he initially believed to be unoccupied. Upon further investigation at the driver’s door, the officer located a male subject reclined and asleep in the driver seat with the music volume turned up. The officer knocked loudly on the window and awoke the male in order to investigate the reason for his presence in the middle of the street and determine the nature of his situation.

The male occupant rolled down the driver door window a couple of inches and provided the officer with his WI driver’s license, which identified him as JAMES S. MEYER, M/W, 3/12/1952. Meyer had locked his vehicle’s doors and refused to exit, despite numerous requests to exit by the officer.

At approximately 1:34 a.m. information was received from the St. Croix Falls Police Department via the Polk County Dispatch, and broadcast to all officers assisting, that Meyer had recently been aggressive toward law enforcement in Polk County during a contact where he was the reported victim.

Law Enforcement officers from the North Hudson Police Department, Hudson Police Department and St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department worked together to convince Meyer to exit his vehicle to talk with officers and determine the nature of his condition, both mental and physical, but Meyer continued to read information from a prepared card advising he knew his rights.

At approximately 1:50 a.m., during an attempt by officers to gain access to the passenger side of Meyer’s vehicle, he started the engine and backed into a North Hudson Police Department fully marked squad car and drove forward, avoiding contact with a St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department fully marked squad, which was parked in front of his vehicle. Meyer accelerated away from officers and a pursuit began with officers from all three agencies assisting.

The pursuit, initially at slow speeds of 25 MPH, headed south on 6th St. N. to Monroe St. N. and then zigzagged on the side streets to Wisconsin St. N. where Meyer drove westbound to the intersection of Galahad Rd. N. Upon turning northbound on Galahad Rd. N., the speeds of the pursuit were reported to be 70 MPH on clear roads with no traffic. Galahad Rd. N. leads down a hill at Ferry Landing Park to a beach with access to the St. Croix River and the pursuit was discontinued shortly after Meyer’s vehicle drove onto the frozen river at that location. Meyer then turned off all the lights on his vehicle and drove southbound toward an area of known open water (near the Union Pacific Railroad Swing Bridge west of St. Croix St. in the City of Hudson).

Officers requested the Bayport, MN Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department to monitor the MN access points to the St. Croix River to attempt to locate Meyer. Due to the open water south of the access point at Ferry Landing Park and an added concern for Meyer’s safety, the MN State Patrol helicopter was requested to utilize the technology aboard their vessel to locate Meyer’s vehicle. The MN State Patrol helicopter searched the St. Croix River from Bayport south to the open water at the UPRR Swing Bridge and did not locate

Meyer’s vehicle. The helicopter crew reported seeing hundreds of vehicle tracks on the ice, but did not locate any tracks consistent with operation of a vehicle into open water. They were confident Meyer’s vehicle did not enter open water and discontinued their portion of the search.

At approximately 4:58 a.m., the Washington County Sheriff’s Department located Meyer’s vehicle at a residence in Lakeland, MN and Meyer was taken into custody for charges stemming from the pursuit in Wisconsin. Meyer was transported to the Washington County Jail to await extradition proceedings.

The North Hudson Police Department would like to thank the Hudson Police Department, the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department, the Wisconsin State Patrol, the MN State Patrol, The Washington County Sheriff’s Department, the St. Croix County Emergency Communication Center and the Bayport MN Police Department for their assistance. The professionalism of these departments and their skilled assistance allowed this incident to end without injury to the suspect, officers involved and most importantly no injury or property damage incurred by the general public. 

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UPDATE (12:30 p.m., March 3, 2013): The man who eluded police in North Hudson by driving onto the St. Croix River was taken into custody by officers from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, according to a Washington County deputy.

James S. Meyer, 60, of St. Croix Falls, was arrested at a home in Lake St. Croix Beach near Quinlan Avenue South and 18th Street South after deputies tracked cell phones pings to his location.

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ORIGINAL POST (5:28 a.m., March 3, 2013): Hudson Police joined North Hudson Police and multiple other law enforcement agencies in a chase and manhunt early Sunday morning that began at 12:47 a.m. as a suspicious activity complaint near the intersection of Fox Tree Lane North and Sommers Landing Road.

The suspect vehicle hit a North Hudson Police squad car and fled at 1:49 a.m. in North Hudson, according to radio traffic posted by Police Clips.

LISTEN TO POLICE CLIPS SCANNER AUDIO OF THE CHASE AND MANHUNT

Police followed the suspect vehicle at about 25mph through North Hudson neighborhoods before it sped down Gallahad Road North and onto the St. Croix River via the boat launch at Ferry Landing Park.

Officers halted their pursuit when the vehicle went onto the river, and called other law enforcement agencies to keep an eye out on the shores of both sides of the river. A helicopter also was summoned to search with a spotlight on the river.

Among those assisting in the incident were officers from the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office, the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Calls for comment from local law enforcement officials have not yet been returned.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.