BREMER COUNTY – Law enforcement attempted to stop a driver on the Avenue of the Saints and he attempted to flee, only to be caught and found with dangerous weapons.
According to the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office, on December 24 at 5:59 PM, a report of a possibly intoxicated driver from the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office was relayed to their office. The driver was last seen on Hwy 218 southbound from the Nashua area, and a vehicle description was provided. A short time later, a citizen called in with a similar complaint and advised that they were still following the vehicle.
Bremer County Deputies located this vehicle and attempted to stop it on Hwy 218; however, it continued on for a short time, finally stopping in a gas station lot on Hwy 3 between Waverly and Shell Rock. The driver refused to cooperate with Deputies and State Troopers who arrived to assist. The driver refused to identify himself or exit the vehicle for a period of 20 minutes. He did finally comply and was taken into custody. The vehicle was searched subsequent to the driver’s arrest. During that search, two handguns, a .223 caliber rifle and numerous loaded magazines were located inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The driver did not have a valid weapons permit.
The driver was identified as Billy Duane Fleshner, age 34, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was subsequently charged with the following:
2 counts of Possession of a Dangerous Weapon, Aggravated Misdemeanor
Interference with Official Acts, Simple Misdemeanor
Failure to have a Valid Driver’s License, Simple Misdemeanor
Failure to Yield to Emergency Vehicle, Simple Misdemeanor
Dark Windows, Simple Misdemeanor
Fleshner was transported to the Bremer County Jail where he was held pending appearance before a magistrate. He remains in jail at this time with a $50,000 bond.
The Bremer County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Iowa State Patrol.
