Charges: Man led police on chase through residential areas, rammed squad cars

(Mankato, MN) – A man who led police on a high-speed chase through residential Mankato neighborhoods now faces criminal charges.

Jeremy Terrell Hobbs, 29, was charged Monday in Blue Earth County Court with felony counts of 1st and 2nd-degree assault, damage to property, and fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. Hobbs was also charged with counts of misdemeanor DWI and open bottle.

Court documents say Hobbs was first spotted by police Saturday around 1:23 a.m. after he nearly hit a squad car on Riverfront with the Chevy Cruze he was driving. Another nearby officer attempted to initiate a stop, but Hobbs accelerated up to 60 miles per hour on Riverfront, blowing through a red light at Madison Avenue, according to the complaint.

Hobbs continued on Third Avenue, exceeding speeds of 80 miles per hour in a 30 mile per zone, according to police. The pursuit reached Harper Street and Sixth Avenue before Hobbs turned into an alley between Fifth and Sixth avenues, nearly hitting a tree, the complaint says.

Court documents say Hobbs met a dead end in the alley, where he attempted to make a U-turn to escape. The complaint says Hobbs accelerated his vehicle towards the squads of two officers who had joined the pursuit. In response, one of the officers struck the Chevy with her squad to stop it from hitting the squad, but Hobbs continued, striking the front of one of the police squads, according to the complaint.

Police reports say officers drew their weapons and ordered Hobbs out of the vehicle, but he struck another police squad, and drove directly towards an officer on foot. When the Chevy finally stopped, police say Hobbs refused commands to get out of the vehicle and had to be pulled out.

The criminal complaint said Hobbs smelled strongly of alcohol. An open container of Cognac was allegedly found in the backseat of the vehicle, which was registered to his girlfriend, who had been taken to detox earlier in the evening. Hobbs told ambulance personnel he had been drinking all night, according to the complaint.

Hobbs refused a breath test, and was disruptive throughout the process of his arrest, according to the complaint.

Court documents say there was “disabling damage” caused to one squad car, while two other squads also suffered damage. Trees and grass were also damaged during the course of the pursuit.

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