Garvin man charged with 7 felonies following March 13 high-speed chase

Mar. 22—SLAYTON — Sean Eric VanMeveren, 25, of Garvin, is charged in Murray County Fifth District Court with seven felony counts ranging from second degree assault with a dangerous weapon to possession of firearms, motor vehicle theft, receiving stolen property, fleeing a peace officer and fifth degree drug possession.

The charges stem from a March 13 incident in Murray County.

According to the statement of probable cause written by the Murray County Sheriff's Office, a deputy was on patrol near Avoca when he spotted a 2004 blue Chevrolet Impala parked at a residence. There had been multiple law enforcement alerts about the vehicle in the past two months, and the deputy knew it had been sold to VanMeveren, who had multiple arrest warrants out in multiple southwest Minnesota counties.

When other officers arrived, the deputy saw the Impala head south out of the acreage and toward the deputy. The deputy reportedly recognized VanMeveren as the driver of the vehicle as it approached. VanMeveren drove directly toward the squad car, then reportedly made an abrupt left turn, and took off heading east through Avoca on Murray County 6. Deputies pursued VanMeveren with emergency lights and sirens activated.

Law enforcement pursued the vehicle for approximately 7 miles on gravel roads as VanMeveren reportedly traveled at a high rate of speed and failed to stop at multiple stop signs and intersections.

According to the report, VanMeveren drove into a residence west of Avoca whe he and a passenger got out of the Impala and took a red Chevrolet pickup from the residence. VanMeveren reportedly drove the truck through a plowed field, over a fence and back through the acreage, and one of the deputies stopped to talk to the passenger who remained at the acreage.

The passenger reportedly stated that they didn't think VanMeveren had any weapons, that they were scared and didn't want to be in the vehicle but VanMeveren reportedly wouldn't let them out.

Inside the Impala, the deputy reportedly found a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine, along with a hot raila rubber tube with a glass tip used to smoke meth. On the ground near the driver's side door was a small baggie containing a white substance believed to be methamphetamine.

The vehicle was towed to the Murray County Sheriff's Office garage and secured, and the passenger was transported to the jail.

Meanwhile, other law enforcement continued to follow VanMeveren, who reportedly traveled several miles in Murray County at a high rate of speed. VanMeveren reportedly swerved toward a Buffalo Ridge Drug Task Force squad, forcing the commander off the road and into a ditch.

The pursuit continued into Cottonwood County, through the city of Westbrook at high speeds.

The law enforcement report then states that VanMeveren entered a property north of Westbrook, where he reportedly abandoned the red Silverado and took a gray Chevrolet Silverado pickup.

VanMeveren then continued to flee from law enforcement officers as he returned to Murray County with multiple jurisdictions in pursuit, including the Minnesota State Patrol and Pipestone County Sheriff's Office.

VanMeveren reportedly crashed the Chevrolet into an electric utility pole at the T-intersection of 161st Street and 250th Avenue, and then fled on foot to the south near some sheds on the south side of a slough.

Officers reportedly ordered VanMeveren to show himself with his hands up, but VanMeveren didn't comply. A Pipestone County deputy reported seeing VanMeveren lying down on the north side of a tin fish house. As deputies approached, VanMeveren reportedly got up and fled on foot again.

He ran another 20 to 30 yards before reportedly lying on the ground and following officers' commands before being taken into custody.

Near where VanMeveren was apprehended, officers reportedly found a bag that contained, among other things, handguns.

Among the handguns was a Rock Island Armory .22 revolver with a serial number that matched a report of a missing handgun from a residence in a Redwood County burglary case. Two other handguns in the bag were identified as having been stolen from Jackson County.

VanMeveren has multiple prior felony convictions, including third degree burglary and fifth degree controlled substance crimes.

The second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon charge, for reportedly driving toward a law enforcement officer in a motor vehicle, carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and/or a $14,000 fine.

The charge of possession of ammunition or any firearm after being convicted or adjudicated for a crime of violence carries a maximum sentence of not less than five years, but no more than 15 years imprisonment and/or a $30,000 fine.

VanMeveren is charged with two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine.

The charge of receiving stolen property (firearms) carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and/or a $100,000 fine, while fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle has a maximum sentence of three years and one day imprisonment and/or a $5,000 fine.

The fifth degree possession of drugs charge comes with a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine.

VanMeveren is housed in the Lyon County Jail in Marshall.

Note: This article was written based on information reported by local law enforcement agencies. The Globe reminds readers that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.