Minnesota Forum

From MNcrime utube:

On March 18, 2022, at about 9:52 p.m., a Cottage Grove police officer was clearing a traffic stop at a gas station in the city of Saint Paul Park when a black Chevrolet Trailblazer entered the parking lot. The officer noticed the Trailblazer was displaying expired license tabs from 2021. The officer used his squad car's mobile computer to verify the expired registration status and learned that the registered owner, 33-year-old JAMES LEANTHONY BUTTLER, had a suspended Minnesota driver's license and an outstanding felony warrant out of Hennepin County for Fleeing a Peace Officer in a Motor Vehicle.

The Cottage Grove officer followed Buttler as he exited the lot onto Broadway Avenue. At Summit Avenue and Saint Paul Park Road, the officer activated his squad car's emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop on the Trailblazer. Instead of pulling to the shoulder, BUTTLER refused to yield to the emergency lights and continued on Summit Avenue toward Highway 61. The officer then activated his squad car's siren. BUTTLER responded by turning his Trailblazer onto southbound Highway 61 and accelerating to speeds over 100 Miles per hour. As BUTTLER fled in his Trailblazer on Highway 61, he weaved in and out of traffic while maintaining speeds at and around 100 Miles per hour. BUTTLER took the exit ramp to Innovation Road South from southbound Highway 61. The Cottage Grove officer tried to engage an authorized pursuit intervention technique maneuver but was unsuccessful with positioning.

At the top of the ramp, BUTTLER swerved around a marked squad car and re-entered southbound Highway 61. BUTTLER continued south on Highway 61 all the way to Hastings, still traveling at and around 100 miles per hour. At the Hastings Bridge, Hastings police officers deployed stop sticks. BUTTLER struck the stop sticks but refused to stop. BUTTLER continued to flee, still traveling southbound and passing State Highway 55 at approximately 70 miles an hour. As BUTTLER approached Great River Road, the Cottage Grove officer positioned his squad car for another attempt at a PIT maneuver. BUTTLER's response was to brake aggressively, causing the Cottage Grove officer to crash into the Trailblazer. BUTTLER continued on and the Cottage Grove officer, still in pursuit despite the squad damage, positioned his vehicle for yet another unsuccessful attempt at a PIT maneuver. BUTTLER drove his Trailblazer southbound in the northbound traffic lanes of Highway 61.

As the pursuit approached Great River Road and Thirty-First Street, another officer was able to perform a final and successful PIT maneuver, disabling the vehicle. For this incident, BUTTLER was convicted of fleeing police in a motor vehicle, but an additional charge of fleeing a peace officer on foot was dismissed. He received a stayed sentence of 136 days, was placed on probation for three years and has to pay 9,000 dollars in restitution. BUTTLER has a slew of past traffic related convictions, according to state court records. He currently has an active warrant for his arrest due to probation violation. If you have any information on his whereabouts, call police.


Warrants

List with 2 inactive warrants
BUTTLER, JAMES LEANTHONY, Bench Warrant-fail to appear at a hearing
BUTTLER, JAMES LEANTHONY
Bench Warrant-fail to appear at a hearing
Judicial Officer: Pietan, Laura A.
List with 2 warrant statuses
12/13/2022 Warrant Status 1, Date, December 13 2022, 07:39 AM Warrant Status 1, Time, 07:39 AM, Status: Served Warrant Status 1, Status, Served
10/25/2022 Warrant Status 2, Date, October 25 2022, 08:04 AM Warrant Status 2, Time, 08:04 AM, Status: Issued Active Warrant Status 2, Status, Issued Active
Bond/Bail Options
Hold Without Bond

BUTTLER, JAMES LEANTHONY, Bench Warrant-fail to appear at a hearing
BUTTLER, JAMES LEANTHONY
Bench Warrant-fail to appear at a hearing
Judicial Officer: Maas, Ellen L.
List with 2 warrant statuses
08/23/2022 Warrant Status 1, Date, August 23 2022, 07:36 AM Warrant Status 1, Time, 07:36 AM, Status: Served Warrant Status 1, Status, Served
06/24/2022 Warrant Status 2, Date, June 24 2022, 06:17 PM Warrant Status 2, Time, 06:17 PM, Status: Issued Active Warrant Status 2, Status, Issued Active
Bond/Bail Options
Bond or Cash Bail
Amount: $50,000.00