Prison Sentence After Rochester Motorcycle Police Chase

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A former Rochester man with a lengthy criminal history has been given a prison sentence for a felony fleeing police conviction.

Wanted on Felony Warrant

According to court documents, the incident occurred on May 30 of last year in rural southeast Rochester. The criminal complaint says an Olmsted County Sheriff's Office corporal spotted 47-year-old Mark Edward Smith riding a motorcycle on Saint Bridget's Road Southeast and initiated a traffic stop because he knew Smith was wanted on a felony warrant.

Drove Through Cornfield

Instead of stopping, the criminal complaint says Smith sped away from the officer on Highway 63 near the Rochester Airport. The pursuing officer then watched as Smith drove the motorcycle off the highway into a cornfield and continued traveling toward the FedEx facility on the airport property.

K9 Assisted in Arrest

The court document indicates law enforcement eventually located the motorcycle in a ditch on the north side of the FedEx facility. A K-9 team was dispatched to the scene and tracked Smith, who was found hiding in a marshy area.

Plea Deal

He was charged with felony fleeing police. Olmsted County Court records show that he entered a guilty plea to that charge, along with a charge of receiving stolen property and DWI in two separate cases, through a plea agreement.

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Prison Sentence

Smith has now been sentenced to 22 months in prison, although he was given credit for 313 days he spent in jail. He is already serving a prison sentence for a vehicle theft conviction in Fillmore County.

His criminal history includes eight other previous felony convictions in southeastern Minnesota.