Pocatello man sentenced for eluding police
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POCATELLO — A man who crashed into a patrol cruiser after a high-speed chase in a stolen car has been sentenced.
Dustin Lee Hensley was originally charged with felony eluding an officer, felony grand theft, two felony counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and an enhancement charge for the use of a deadly weapon.
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Hensley accepted a plea agreement on Dec. 5 and pleaded guilty to the eluding charge in exchange for the remaining charges being dismissed.
On Feb. 24, 6th District Judge Robert C. Naftz sentenced the 44-year-old to four years of probation after suspending his prison sentence of two years fixed and three years indeterminate.
As part of the sentence, Hensley’s driver’s license is suspended for 12 months due to the felony eluding charge. He was also given 180 days of discretionary jail time, which his probation officer could enforce if needed. He is ordered to pay $14,865.83 in restitutions.
According to the affidavit, on Nov. 30, 2023, at around 2 a.m., Pocatello Police responded to a call about a stolen vehicle in the 1300 block of El Rancho Boulevard. The document states Hensley had just stolen a red 2012 Hyundai Elantra.
While officers made their way to the area, one of them located the car but it began to speed away. The affidavit states the car was driving in the opposite lane, heading towards a police car, but swerved out of the way, causing it to lose control.
The affidavit states the vehicle faced the front of one of the police vehicles, and there, they were able to identify the driver as Hensley. He then reversed the car, which caused it to hit a different police vehicle.
Hensley then began to speed down El Ranchero, driving into oncoming traffic. He kept driving until he passed Garrett Way and drove onto Main Street, where officers lost sight of him. Due to the conditions of the chase — in which Hensley drove over 80 mph and had his lights off — officers terminated the pursuit.
The affidavit states that Hensley was ultimately arrested for a probation violation and questioned by officers. After his Miranda Rights were read, Hensley told officers that he was at a friend’s house but had been kicked out. He said that the victim had given him the keys to the car and drove a few houses down before parking. While there, he claims he was waiting for the vehicle’s owner when officers arrived.
Due to the police vehicle behind him, the man said he panicked and took off. The officer asked him why he drove into oncoming traffic, and he responded that the police had spun his car out.
The officer told the man that the victim had reported that her car had been stolen, and that’s why police were behind him. Hensley told officers that he did not steal the vehicle.
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