Charges Outline Events of Police Chases Involving Sartell Man

ST. CLOUD -- A Sartell man faces seven felony charges and four other lesser charges stemming from three separate police chases last week.

Thirty-six-year-old Jason Schwieger is charged with various felony counts of fleeing police, stalking, and threats of violence with reckless disregard.

Three separate charging complaints outline the series of events where Schwieger and his wife had gotten into an argument and she left out of fear for her safety.

Schwieger is accused of using their two daughters to try to force an exchange for the wife to return.

Court records show three separate incidents where Schwieger allegedly led police on high-speed chases while running stops signs and red lights and endangering other drivers. All three times, police called off the pursuits due to public safety concerns.

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The children were ultimately returned to their mother after an exchange was arranged at the Family Dollar store in Sartell Friday. Schwieger fled without the children when he saw police officers who were positioned in the area attempt to arrest him in the parking lot. At one point during that chase, Schwieger saw the victims on Riverside Avenue North and allegedly tried to hit them head-on, forcing them to drive off the road.

Police received a call on Saturday that Schwieger was seen sleeping in an SUV in his driveway. Officers arrived and blocked in the SUV with a squad car. Schwieger ultimately climbed into the driver's seat, backed up into a squad car, and maneuvered his way free by driving through the yard. Again, he is accused of leading police on a high-speed chase, this time south on Highway 15 and east on Highway 23. Police ended the pursuit when Schwieger turned onto Wilson Avenue in St. Cloud and headed toward the Benton County Fair.

Schwieger was found at a location in Sauk Rapids Sunday morning and was arrested.