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Victor Man Charged with Trying to Run Over Officer

High-speed chase reached speeds of 140 mph

By Molly Priddy

HAMILTON — A western Montana man arrested after a high-speed chase faces numerous charges including attempted deliberate homicide after a sheriff’s deputy said the man tried to run him over, Ravalli County prosecutors said.

Logan James Brown, 21, was arrested Monday night and appeared before Justice of the Peace Robin Clute on Tuesday. He remained jailed Wednesday in lieu of $200,000 bail and was ordered to appear in District Court on July 16.

At the time of the chase, Brown’s driver’s license was suspended and he was serving a six-month suspended sentence for driving under the influence.

Brown’s public defender, Jona Lagerstrom, was not available for comment Wednesday morning.

Charging documents say the chase — over rural roads north of Darby, west of Hamilton and along U.S. Highway 93 — reached speeds of up to 140 mph.

Brown twice tried to hit a deputy with his car, sped backward at another roadblock and nearly caused numerous accidents, charging documents said.

The chase ended when Brown’s car suffered a mechanical failure.

Brown’s passenger, Craig Weyer, told officers that he and Brown had been drinking since noon. Weyer said he was afraid during the chase and compared the experience to something you would see on the video game “Grand Theft Auto,” court records said.

Brown told officers he “wasn’t thinking right,” and panicked when the first officer tried to stop car, charging documents said.

In addition to attempted deliberate homicide, Brown is charged with assault with a weapon, criminal endangerment, assault on a peace officer, eluding police, speeding and driving without a license.