A 19-year-old Lathrop resident was arrested Wednesday evening, Sept. 4, following a law enforcement pursuit involving a motorcycle. Ryan Edwin Mapes has been charged in Clinton County with multiple offenses stemming from the incident.
Mapes faces a felony charge of resisting arrest, detention, or stopping by fleeing—creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death to any person. He is also charged with misdemeanors for possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids of 11 to 35 grams, exceeding the posted speed limit by 26 miles per hour or more, and failure to register a motor vehicle.
Mapes will also have to contend with the newly implemented “Valentine’s Law,” which was enacted in 2023. The new law strengthens penalties for individuals who flee from law enforcement on or in motor vehicles. The law was named after a highway patrol officer who was killed during a high-speed pursuit. Under this law, fleeing from an officer in a manner that creates a substantial risk of injury or death to any person can lead to enhanced felony charges, with harsher sentences aimed at deterring dangerous pursuits and protecting public safety. The law carries a mandatory prison sentence of one year without the possibility of parole or probation.
His bond was initially set at $10,000 with supervision by Supervision Services, prohibiting controlled substances without a valid prescription and alcohol consumption. After Mapes entered a plea of not guilty on Sept. 5, his bond was amended to release on his own recognizance with the same conditions remaining. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 29.
The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office reported that the pursuit began in Plattsburg and ended north of Cameron. The chase reportedly went through the streets of Cameron and continued north on Highway 69 before the driver allegedly attempted to navigate a field, laid over his bike, and fled on foot.
Multiple law enforcement agencies set up a perimeter. K-9 teams and drones were deployed in the search.
