Isle man faces criminal charges after fleeing officer

At about 10:30 p.m., Isle Police received a phone call from a concerned resident about a suspicious vehicle. The vehicle was described as a red pickup truck with a black topper that had two white lights illuminating from the third brake light. The caller said the vehicle was repeatedly driving up and down a local street and asked for extra patrols in the area.

An officer reported to the area and found a vehicle that matched the caller’s description, according to the complaint. As the officer observed the vehicle, the driver, later identified as Donald Joseph Hall, Jr., 64, failed to signal within 100 feet of a stop sign; the wheels of the vehicle spun its back tires and fishtailed as the officer observed.

At that time, the officer activated his emergency lights to stop the vehicle. The vehicle did not stop, even after the officer turned on the siren. According to the complaint, Hall did not stop at a stop sign, and the officer then turned on his spotlight to flash into the driver’s side mirror. The vehicle again turned and “went into the oncoming lane of traffic, onto the sidewalk, and then ran into a light pole,” the complaint states, resulting in damage to the pole.

The officer drew his duty pistol and ordered Hall to throw his keys out of the vehicle and back towards the officer. Hall complied. The officer placed Hall in handcuffs; Hall reportedly said to the officer, “You want me to turn around and [expletive] you up again?” and “Why should I stop for you?”

After transport to the Mille Lacs County Jail, Hall refused to stand, according to the complaint, “and laid down on the floor unresponsive.” Blood sugar was checked and within normal range; a sheriff’s deputy attempted to collect a breath test, at which Hall “started yelling and swinging his arms at deputies and jail staff.” While staff placed Hall into a restraint chair, a deputy told the Isle officer that Hall kicked the deputy in his upper thigh.

Hall has previously been convicted for refusing to submit to chemical testing in relation to a DWI charge in Martin County in 2007.

The felony charge he faces Is for fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, which could result in a three-year sentence, a $5,000 fine, or both, if convicted. One of the gross misdemeanor charges, which could result in a one-year sentence, $3,000 fine or both, is a fourth-degree assault on a peace officer. The other, for obstructing legal process/interfering with a peace officer, has the same maximum sentence, if convicted. The final charge, a misdemeanor for reckless driving, could come with a maximum sentence of 90 days, a $1,000 fine or both.