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 By DEBORAH McCASLIN
Chief Publisher
South on Highway 21 ... north on Highway 21 ... east on Highway 2 ... north on 70 ... under a pivot, through a cornfield, a hay field, an alfalfa field, a pasture with fresh green grass and then down a canyon to a dead-end ravine ... A high speed chase Tuesday night ended with the apprehension of the subject, but not before the tally of fences taken out and gates ignored hit the 15-plus range.
The call came through on the scanner at 5:13 p.m., starting with a routine traffic stop, and the chase was on.
“I met him out on Highway 70,” said local rancher Claris Connely, not knowing what was going on at the time. “He was being followed by three patrol cars, all moving pretty quick, so I just waved.”
The driver, later identified as 21-year-old Joseph Olsson of North Platte, was driving a stolen car out of Colorado. He had a female passenger in tow.
“There were two of them in the car and he looked like he was concentrating pretty hard,” Connely added. “I don’t think he waved back.”
By that time, Olsson was intent on leading local law enforcement on a two-hour scenic tour of Custer County, reaching speeds in excess of 95 mph.
A message came across the scanner saying there was a possibility the passenger was not with Olsson willingly.
“Not entirely so,” said Sheriff Ted Henderson. “The passenger was a juvenile, a 17-year-old female. She said he picked her up in North Platte but she wanted out once he took off (from the traffic stop).”
Olsson is not talking.
Henderson made the traffic stop when he clocked Olsson traveling at 80 miles per hour 10 miles south of Broken Bow on State Highway 21. When Henderson ran the plates, they came up stolen. Olsson refused to get out of the car and gunned it instead.
The chase extended over an estimated 35 miles of backroads, fields and pastures ending in offroad pursuit northeast of Broken Bow.
“He jumped the ditch to get into the corn field,” Mike Connely explained. “The last time I crossed that ditch I had to get my pickup fixed!” he added with a laugh. “And there was ice and a flat tire involved.”
“And I don’t know what he did with the gate - it’s just gone,” Claris Connely added. Olsson managed to leave a trail of broken fences throughout the Weissert area.
Neighbor Dave Christen became involved when he heard a request called out on the scanner to have Dave lock the doors of his home. Local law enforcement folks didn’t want anyone getting hurt. Christen was in town so he said he booked it home.
By this time, the state patrol had a plane in the air, and a dog on the way.
Roads were blocked and the officers were combing the pastures and creekbeds.
“It was good that he went offroad,” said Henderson. “We could set up a perimeter and get him found. And offroad he’s not endangering other drivers.”
The plan was to wait. If he didn’t voluntarily give himself up, or if he couldn’t be taken safely, the canine unit was to take charge.
Sometime mid-chase, the girl was let out in a pasture near Weissert. She walked up to one of the officers for a ride back to town. Not long afterward, Olsson’s stolen Tahoe nose dived into a ravine, one-fourth of a mile north of Christen’s and the suspect took off on foot.
A state patrol plane out of Lincoln targeted him a good hike away by a pay loader. The officers on foot just couldn’t see him.
In the end, it was Dave Christen’s cows who gave the suspect up.
“Always, always watch the animals when you are looking for someone. They are always watching you,” said Henderson.
Christen was helping as a lookout when he noticed his cows were all staring at a certain point in the pasture. They were curious about something and even wandering on over.
Christen got into his pickup and drove out pretending to check his cows. He saw Olsson lying down in the fenceline just over a small hill.
“He was hidden pretty well, really hard to see,” Christen said. “It was a good hiding place.”
Christen pointed him out to the officers as the canine patrol vehicle was arriving from the other direction.
“I wanted him to get caught or I wasn’t going to sleep tonight,” Christen said.
Olsson had a small fishing pole and a backpack with him at that time.
“I guess he wanted to be prepared,” Christen added. “But he was going to go real hungry if he expected to catch anything out of that creek.”
The afternoon went well, Henderson said. There were 35 law enforcement personnel from six organizations including the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, Broken Bow Police Department, Sherman County Sheriff’s Department, the Loup County Sheriff and Ansley Police Department.
“We were able to work well together, set up our perimeters and no one got hurt,” Henderson said.
The incident ended at 7:30 p.m. with Olsson in custody.
Olsson is being charged with fleeing to avoid arrest and possession of stolen property. |
Huskers.com
