Car chase suspect pleads not guilty

Published 10:37 am Thursday, February 4, 2016

The 20-year-old arrested early Monday after fleeing police pleaded not guilty Wednesday to four charges.

Hardy

Hardy

Ezra Robert Hardy was charged Jan. 26 in Mower County court with felony fleeing an officer, misdemeanor fourth-degree DWI, misdemeanor driving after a suspended license and petty misdemeanor drug possession.

Police arrested Hardy after a routine traffic stop for a driving violation which led to a brief pursuit.

Email newsletter signup

The incident started after an officer attempted to pull over a vehicle for a driving violation at the intersection of 10th Street Northeast and East Oakland Avenue. The vehicle didn’t stop until Second Avenue Northeast, where a male got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. The vehicle, with two other people, took off again at high speed — with Hardy allegedly at the wheel.

The vehicle sped down six streets and avenues and ran two stop signs during the chase, where a second squad car got involved, according to the report.

Officers performed a high-risk traffic stop and arrested Hardy at gunpoint. The other passenger told police Hardy had borrowed the car, but she feared the owner may have reported it stolen, according to the court complaint. She reportedly urged Hardy to stop numerous times, but he refused because he didn’t want to go to jail.

According to the complaint, Hardy started kicking the windows of the police car after being detained and had to be placed in leg shackles.

Police found several items of drug paraphernalia in Hardy’s pockets and in the car. He admitted he had used meth recently, and he agreed to take a drug test.

He was served with two warrants after arriving at the jail. The suspect who fled cops on foot was not apprehended. The passenger was released.

Hardy is next scheduled for court May 6.