The Grappler Police Bumper System is showed wrapped around the rear end of a Mercedes whose driver is accused of fleeing deputies early Friday morning. Douglas County Sheriff's Office photo
A man changed his plea in the middle of a jury trial on Wednesday in connection with an August eluding arrest.
Fresno resident Joseph Michael Baird, 27, is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 27, 2025, after entering guilty pleas to failure to stop motor vehicle on signal of peace officer, with endangerment to person or property and possession of stolen motor vehicle.
Baird allegedly dropped off two alleged robbers before the stolen back Mercedes SUV he was driving was spotted by authorities.
Prosecutor Bethany Towne said prosecutors expect Baird will plead guilty to resisting a public officer in Douglas County District Court.
Baird has been in custody since deputies used a new device on Aug. 16 to stop the Mercedes at Jake’s Hill on Highway 395.
Baird was northbound on Highway 395 near Bridgeport when a license plate reader alerted authorities in Mono County to the vehicle.
Mono County deputies and California Highway Patrol officers found the vehicle and pursued it north toward Douglas County at speeds of up to 80-160 mph.
Douglas deputies headed south on Highway 395 just after midnight to intercept the Mercedes at the state line, but because of the speed of the pursuit, they were only able to get to Pine Valley before they set up spike strips.
At a hearing, Sheriff’s Sgt. Justin Williams testified that the Mercedes was doing 140 mph when it hit the spike strips.
Williams began pursuit, finding his patrol car being outpaced by the SUV. But at one point Baird slowed sufficiently for Williams to deploy the grappler and the chase ended on Jake’s Hill south of Gardnerville.
