Two 18-year-olds are facing felony charges after Hastings police say they fled from an officer on electric dirt bikes, running stop signs and weaving through city streets before one rider stopped and the other was later identified.
Tysen Cash Ruud and Breydon Duane Fedderly, both 18, have each been charged in Dakota County District Court with one felony count of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle.
According to separate criminal complaints filed against the two men, a Hastings police officer was on routine patrol at approximately 11:02 p.m. Aug. 26 when he spotted two E-Moto-style dirt bikes traveling north on Vermillion Street without headlights.
The officer had recently received information that similar bikes had fled from a Dakota County deputy, according to the complaints.
Police said the two bikes quickly changed lanes and headed west on Highway 55. As the officer turned around to follow them, the riders allegedly crossed over a median and traveled south on Eddy Street.
The officer later located the bikes near Ashland Street and 13th Street. According to the complaints, the riders accelerated and ran stop signs, prompting the officer to activate his emergency lights and siren.
Neither rider stopped, police said.
Instead, the two allegedly began zig-zagging southwest through several city blocks while the officer followed. The complaints describe a route that included Walnut and Maple streets and more than one trip through a church parking lot.
According to prosecutors, the riders traveled south on Walnut Street, cut through the church parking lot and continued onto Maple Street. They then allegedly traveled east on Maple, north on Walnut and back through the same church parking lot before heading south on Maple again, essentially making a loop while trying to avoid police.
During the pursuit, the officer reported that one rider was wearing a black helmet while the other was wearing a white helmet.
The rider wearing the black helmet eventually slowed and stopped near 13th Street, according to the complaints. Police identified the rider as Ruud.
Officers reported that Ruud's bike did not have a license plate or registration.
Ruud was advised of his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with police, according to the complaint. When an officer asked why he had fled, Ruud allegedly said he did not really have a reason other than having seen videos online.
Ruud reportedly told police he eventually realized fleeing was a bad idea and decided to stop.
During the conversation, Ruud identified the other rider as Fedderly, according to the complaints.
Police then attempted to locate Fedderly at his residence before eventually speaking with him by phone. Fedderly agreed to meet with the officer, according to the complaint.
When police asked why he had allegedly fled, Fedderly reportedly said he did not know and acknowledged that doing so was not smart.
Fedderly then showed the officer a bike located inside a garage. Police said it was the same type of bike as the one Ruud had been riding.
Both men told officers that they had purchased their bikes through Facebook Marketplace, according to the complaints.
Ruud and Fedderly were each charged with felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. The charge carries a maximum possible penalty of three years and one day in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
The allegations against the two men come as electric motorcycles and dirt-bike-style vehicles have become increasingly visible on city streets. In this case, however, the criminal charges center on the allegation that the riders deliberately attempted to evade a marked police response after an officer activated his emergency lights and siren.
The complaints outline a pursuit that traveled through several Hastings streets, with the riders allegedly changing direction several times and twice cutting through the same church parking lot before Ruud stopped.
No injuries or crashes were reported in the information contained in the complaints.
Both cases remain pending in Dakota County District Court.
The charges contained in criminal complaints are allegations. Ruud and Fedderly are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.