Man leads deputies on high-speed chase after shoplifting incident, authorities say
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UPDATE:
The charges against Jeffrey Fredrickson were dismissed.
ORIGINAL STORY:
AMMON — A shoplifting incident at a local supermarket turned dangerous when the suspect drove off in a busy parking lot.
Employees at the Walmart on 25th East called the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office on the evening of Feb. 22 about a theft that turned into a high-speed chase, according to court documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com. A man later identified as Jeffrey S. Fredrickson, 30, was eventually arrested and charged last week.
When deputies arrived at the Walmart that evening, Fredrickson and a woman not identified in documents were getting into a car, according to an affidavit of probable cause. As law enforcement tried to detain the woman, Fredrickson got in the driver’s seat and allegedly swerved his vehicle around the patrol vehicles.
Deputies were still struggling with the woman as Fredrickson drove off recklessly with the deputy standing by the car’s open door. Deputies write in reports that the rapid acceleration of the car was a danger to people inside the parking lot.
A deputy turned on his red and blue lights and chased the car as it drove through the parking lot and out to Chasewood Drive. The car, with Fredrickson allegedly behind the wheel, stopped at a stop sign but then went through a busy intersection on 17th Street without yielding to other cars.
The chase continued through neighborhood roads and the car reached speeds of 50 mph. After the vehicle ran several stop signs, a deputy’s supervisor then told them to call off the pursuit for public safety.
A few hours later, deputies found the car parked outside a house on Hillam Avenue. The sheriff’s office impounded the empty car and learned it had been involved in other incidents. Deputies also learned Fredrickson had been tied to those incidents.
Prosecutors charged Fredrickson with felony eluding police. Fredrickson was also cited with misdemeanor driving without a valid driver’s license. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 19.
Although Fredrickson is charged with a crime, it does not necessarily mean he committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.