Suspect involved in Rochester use-of-force incident pleads guilty to assault charge

By KAALTV

(ABC 6 News) – A man who evaded investigators for weeks and eventually led authorities on a high-speed chase, pleaded guilty to an assault charge in Olmsted County Court Monday.

Court documents show 39-year-old Jesse Johnson pleaded guilty to felony third-degree assault-substantial bodily harm. As a result, a charge of second-degree assault was dropped.

In December, Johnson was shot at by an Olmsted County deputy at a Rochester Planet Fitness parking lot when he rammed the deputy’s cruiser in an attempt to get away.

Authorities attempted to arrest him on an active warrant.

RELATED: Iowa State Patrol details 100 mph car chase, forced stop leading to Olmsted County warrant arrest

Johnson got away and evaded authorities until February when he was arrested in a stolen car following a high-speed chase in Worth County, Iowa.

Johnson still faces eluding law enforcement, 2nd-degree theft, driving without a license, and multiple speed and stop sign violations in Worth County for that incident.

Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19.

According to Iowa court records, Johnson still faces the following charges in Worth County, dating back to his arrest in early February:

  • Felony 2nd-degree theft; eluding–injury, operating while intoxicated, drugs, or participation in a felony: (pleaded not guilty April 10, 2023)
  • Citations for speeding in a 55 or under zone, fraudulent use of registration; failure to obey stop sign; driving without valid license; (appeared in Worth County Court May 12)