Jesse Beltz

By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Jesse Beltz, 26, of Belle Plaine, continues to spend time in Sumner County jail for a high-speed police chase on Saturday, Feb. 11, involving two separate law enforcement agencies.

Beltz is facing nine felony and two misdemeanor counts on a case during a police chase in which he:

•failed to stop for a roadblock,

•failed to stop for a tire deflation device,

•rammed his pickup truck into two separate sheriff vehicles,

•twice drove into the oncoming lane of traffic,

•drove onto school grounds which he was unauthorized to do,

•nearly ran over a police officer,

•and set the pickup in motion when the same officer tried to drag him out of the vehicle.

He ended his adventure by eventually getting tased.

This comes after being arrested for two previous domestic incidents, leading to misdemeanor charges earlier this year.

The Sumner County Attorney’s office filed the criminal complaint last month. Beltz has remained in Sumner County custody after failing to post a $25,000 bond.

The complaint states that Beltz got involved in a high-speed police pursuit in Belle Plaine. When Belle Plaine police officers originally put up a roadblock, Beltz drove around it into an oncoming traffic lane.

The BPD then put down a tire-deflating device, which he again drove around.

Beltz then intentionally rammed his truck into two different sheriff’s vehicles during the police pursuit. Sheriff Deputy Emileigh V.M. Biddle drove the first car, and that caused more than $1,000 worth of damage to the vehicle. He then used his pickup to ram into Sheriff Deputy Scott’s patrol vehicle, causing less than $1,000 in damages.

After that, Beltz allegedly drove onto Belle Plaine school grounds and parked and refused to leave after multiple requests to do so. He had previously been told not to be on school property. When it was decided by law enforcement to remove Beltz from the vehicle, he drove his pickup toward the Belle Plaine Assistant Police Chief Craig Divoll, who was walking toward the pickup, putting him in imminent bodily harm.

After refusing multiple commands to shut the truck off and removing himself from his vehicle, Divoll broke the defendant’s driver-side window and attempted to place the car in park and remove the defendant himself. According to the complaint, when he did so, the defendant accelerated away, causing Divoll to suffer lacerations on his arm from the broken glass.

Beltz was ultimately tased at the end of the situation, forcing him into compliance.

The Sumner County attorney’s office has charged Beltz with three felony counts of fleeing or attempting to elude a roadblock, a tire deflation device, and causing a motor vehicle accident.

He is charged with two felony counts for aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon – with his pickup to the police vehicles.

Beltz is also charged with criminal property damage – more significant than $1,000, a felony; criminal damage to property less than $1,000, a misdemeanor.

He got an additional charge of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon when he charged his vehicle toward Divoll. And he got a charge of aggravated battery to a law enforcement officer using a motor vehicle when the officer suffered lacerations.

Finally, his ninth felony resulted in interference with law enforcement.

In a previous case, Beltz was charged with trespassing on property where he threatened his sister on Jan. 22.

Then on Feb. 6, in a third incident, he is accused of punching a hole in the wall outside his bedroom, causing a two-by-1.5-inch hole during an angry argument with his grandmother and aunt. He also is charged with punching more holes in the wall, breaking stuff, and making threats, leading the two women to call the police for help. He then allegedly refused to comply with police.