The St. Paul man who led authorities on a high-speed chase in September that ended with a Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office deputy firing three rounds is facing six charges in Freeborn County District Court.

Ryan Joseph Amabile, 30, appeared on the charges Tuesday, a day after he was sentenced to a suspended 10 years in prison in Worth County District Court for one count of first-degree theft tied to the same incident. He will not have to serve the time on that charge if he successfully completes 10 years of probation.

Amabile’s new charges are two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of fleeing police in a motor vehicle, one count of first-degree criminal damage to property, one count of first-degree criminal damage to property and one count of possession of stolen property, all felonies.

According to Freeborn County District Court records, Amabile on Sept. 25 led authorities on a chase that started in Albert Lea and ended in Worth County, reaching speeds as high as 110 mph.

Police were initially alerted to him after receiving a report of a possible impaired driver in the MarketPlace Foods parking lot. The driver was reportedly passed out behind the wheel.

When officers arrived and woke him up, Amabile reportedly seemed startled and nervous and had a sweaty face. He asked officers to back away, and the officers thought he was under a controlled substance.

Officers asked him for identification and asked him to turn off the Jeep Renegade he was in, and as they radioed dispatchers to check the registration of the vehicle, he suddenly turned the vehicle back on and drove away, driving over a curb in the parking lot and striking a parked vehicle. 

He reportedly went west on Main Street and then north to U.S. Highway 69 and Minnesota Highway 13. While driving north, he allegedly veered into the southbound lane. Near the highway’s intersection with Sunset Street, he drove north in the southbound lane and almost collided head-on with another vehicle and had to dodge several others.

He eventually made a sudden U-turn and then went southbound on Highway 13. An Albert Lea Police Department lieutenant drove along Amabile’s vehicle, and Amabile reportedly veered toward the officer’s vehicle, causing damage.

Near Bay Oaks Drive, a Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office deputy deployed a deflation device, and Amabile reportedly intentionally veered over to the left lane toward the deputy, and the deputy had to quickly jump out of the way to avoid getting struck.

The chase reached speeds as high as 110 mph and continued south through Twin Lakes, Emmons and Lake Mills and ended in Worth County.

Deputies reportedly observed Amabile display a handgun and make gestures out of the vehicle window. They also observed him try to steal a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu in Worth County.

A sheriff’s deputy fired three rounds through his patrol car windshield to stop the carjacking, and at that time Amabile went down to the ground and was taken into custody. 

Court documents state when Amabile was arrested, he made a comment about being on methamphetamine. Authorities found a black semi-automatic gun next to the car he attempted to steal, and found a butane torch and a meth pipe in the vehicle.

The vehicle was stolen from St. Louis Park, and Amabile was found to have warrants in Washington, Hennepin and Dakota counties.

In court Tuesday, Freeborn County District Court Judge Steve Schwab set unconditional bail at $300,000.

He is next slated to appear on the charges Dec. 19.

 

See what happened last night in the PM report here.