Sheldon, Iowa — A Sheldon man has been arrested on felony eluding and several other charges after he led a Sheldon Police officer on a pursuit north of town.
According to a criminal complaint filed with the O’Brien County Clerk of Court’s Office by the Sheldon Police Department, 47-year-old Shawn Rooney of Sheldon is accused of leading the officer on a pursuit, operating while intoxicated and driving without a valid license. He was arrested on Tuesday morning.
In his statement, the officer says he tried to stop Rooney on Monroe Avenue near Northwest Boulevard, south of the airport, because he believed Rooney’s license was revoked, his driving privileges were suspended, and he didn’t have high-risk insurance on file. Rooney gave chase and led the officer on a pursuit, says the officer, driving at one point at 99 miles per hour on the gravel road. He says he saw Rooney drive all over the roadway. The officer writes that when Rooney did stop at the stop sign for 280th Street, the officer told him to exit the vehicle, but he didn’t, and continued northbound, turning west on 270th — the county line road. The officer says as Rooney was going west, he called 911, and finally stopped at the four-county point at McKinley and 270th. The officer says Rooney had a very agitated attitude and bloodshot, watery eyes. But he refused all field sobriety tests, and even after a search warrant was obtained and presented for a blood test, he refused to give a specimen of blood.
Rooney was charged with eluding at over 25 miles per hour over the speed limit, second or subsequent offense, a class C felony. If convicted, Rooney could face up to ten years in prison. He also faces misdemeanor charges of driving while license denied or revoked, operating under the influence, contempt – resisting a court order, driving under suspension, failure to obey a stop sign, careless driving, littering, use of an electronic communication device while driving, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure of windshield or window requirements, and speeding.
He faces a preliminary hearing on the charges on November 22nd.
At last report, Rooney remained in the O’Brien County Jail in Primghar in lieu of a $12,000 cash or surety bond.
