A Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy and the suspect he was chasing suffered minor injuries following a high speed chase and foot pursuit in Council Bluffs Wednesday morning. Sheriff Jeff Danker says Deputy Mark Freeman engaged in the pursuit of a motorcycle driven by 44-year old Dean Putnam, of Council Bluffs westbound on 17^th Street.

The chase wound its way through several City streets at speeds approaching 70-miles per hour before Putnam lost control and laid the bike down on its left side before it skidded to a stop. Danker says the man took off on foot from the scene with the deputy close behind.

Freeman caught up to Putnam and tackled him to the ground, where the two struggled. Danker says Putnam resisted arrest and was combative. The deputy called for assistance, which came in the form of officers with the Council Bluffs Police Department. Despite their efforts, Putnam continued to struggle with the officers, one of whom deployed a Taser.

While still resisting arrest, Danker says the officers were finally able to get handcuffs placed on Putnam, but his fight wasn’t over. The man allegedly struck Deputy Freeman several times in the right knee and right hand. Both men were transported to the hospital for treatment and evaluation.

Putnam was charged with Driving While Barred, Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer, Felony Eluding, and Reckless Driving. He also had a warrant for his arrest issued out of Dubuque. Putnam was being held in the Pott. County Jail on $15,000 bond.

A Council Bluffs woman was injured during a single-vehicle accident late Wednesday morning. Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker says 18-year old Rikki Aherns, from rural Council Bluffs, told deputies when her purse fell off the passenger seat of her Suzuki SUV, she reached over to grab it and lost control of the vehicle as it was traveling on Pioneer Trail just east of 220th Street, at around 11:45-a.m., Wednesday.

The SUV left the road and hit a power pole. Aherns was transported from the scene by LifeNet helicopter to a local hospital, but her injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

(updated 10:45-a.m.)

Jeff Danker, Sheriff/Pottawattamie Co., IA

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker this (Thursday) morning, issued a press release in response to what he calls “Baseless allegations” brought against him and his former Chief Deputy, by his opponent, Republican John Hitchcock, in the upcoming election. Danker says over the past year, Hitchcock made more than 24 Freedom of Information Act (FOI) request from the Sheriff’s Office. Danker says they provided him with various pieces of information, including cell phone bills…clothing allowances…the purchase of vehicles…Information Technology policy, other polices and procedures. The Sheriff told KJAN News Hitchcock put together a group of about 11 items for review by County Attorney Matt Wilber. To make sure there was no conflict of interest or impropriety,  Wilber sent the information to Dallas County Attorney Wayne M. Reisetter.

Danker says he wasn’t even aware the private investigation was underway until the information Hitchcock requested came back from Dallas County. Reisetter indicated there was no need for criminal charges, and he was pointed in his response for having gone through the process to begin with. Danker says after review of the “Baseless criminal allegations,” Reisetter concluded ”The vast majority of the material does not appear to be remotely related to a cause for criminal investigation, raising a serious question as to whether the person (Hitchcock) making the allegations, has the remotest idea as to the function and scope of a criminal investigation, or of the limits of government intrusion by investigation.”

Danker says it’s disappointing to him that Hitchcock did whatever he could to come up with something to try and destroy his reputation so he would have a better shot at winning the election for Sheriff.” This election marks the first time Danker, who’s served the residents of Pottawattamie County as Sheriff for the past 20-years, and has been with the department for a total of 35-years, is facing an opponent. He says it appears Hitchcock is disparaging him in an attempt to win the election, because “He (Hitchcock) has no experience in administration or supervising law enforcement.”

The Omaha World-Herald reports an Omaha man whom authorities say played a role in a staged shooting in Onawa on March 8th, has plead guilty to some of the charges originally filed against him. 19-year old Joseph A. Roberts agreed to plead guilty to extortion and reckless use of a firearm, in exchange for two other charges being dropped. The deal involves Roberts receiving a suspended 5-year sentence and 5-years of probation, to be served concurrently. The arrangement has yet to be approved by a judge.

As we previously reported, 32-year old Darren Hieber and 24-year old Brady Chapman were arrested in connection with a February 5th shooting at Hieber’s trucking business. Hieber told police he was shot in the leg while interrupting a burglary. Police say Hieber devised a scheme to have Chapman, his employee, shoot him with a .22-caliber rifle, to distract him from his personal problems. The Omaha World-Herald reported Hieber missed his estranged wife, and hatched the plan to try and get her back.

Authorities say Hieber was shot again on March 8th, after conspiring with Roberts and another Omaha man, 19-year old Timothy Culley, to have that event staged in-part, so the trio could allegedly extort money from Hieber’s family. Heiber and Culley have both entered pleas of not guilty in connection with the incident.