Police chase leads to multiple charges

By GAIL OBER, LACONIA DAILY SUN

GILFORD — A man who says he lives in Belmont but who has an official address in Vermont led police on a wild ride along Lakeshore Road and down a portion of Union Avenue in Laconia at 10 p.m. Thursday night. He is being held on $10,000 cash-only bail after his court appearance yesterday.

Shawn Meiklejohn, 45, is charged with one felony count of possession of less than an ounce of methamphetamine; four Class A misdemeanors – three in Gilford and one in Laconia; and two Class B misdemeanors. He also faces six traffic violations with two of them occurring in Gilford and three of them occurring in Laconia.

Affidavits obtained from the 4th Circuit Court, Laconia Division, said Meiklejohn was driving along Lakeshore Road near German Motor Sports when a Gilford Police Officer Curtis Mailloux heard his loud muffler. Mailloux started following the car and noticed the license plate was barely attached to the car.

When Meiklejohn turned in to Liscomb Circle, Mailloux followed and said Meiklejohn made a left into the first driveway. Affidavits said Mailloux lit the interior of Meiklejohn's car and noticed that he was the only one in it.

As Mailloux got out of his car and began to approach Meiklejohn, affidavits said Meiklejohn began to back out of the driveway. Mailloux ordered him to stop the vehicle but he allegedly failed to comply, and once he backed out of the driveway, he began to drive toward Mailloux.

Affidavits said Mailloux drew his gun and ordered Meiklejohn to stop. He said Meiklejohn continued down to where he was standing. Mailloux pointed his weapon at Meiklejohn and ordered him to stop and turn off the car. He said Meiklejohn looked at him but he could not see Meiklejohn's hands.

After several more attempts to get Meiklejohn to turn off the car, Meiklejohn allegedly took off and nearly ran over Mailloux's foot. He returned to his cruiser and began to follow Meiklejohn after radioing into dispatch.

Meiklejohn allegedly drove at speeds between 60 and 70 mph through a red light at McIntyre Circle and on to Union Avenue, where police allege he passed cars and caused some to drive off the road to get out of his way in a 30-mph zone.

Mailloux stopped his pursuit but continued into Laconia, where he saw Meiklejohn turn into the parking lot at Case and Keg. Affidavits said the Mailloux saw Meiklejohn run from his car and head toward Irwin Marine, so he followed him on foot. He caught up to him in short time but said Meiklejohn refused to get on the ground and put his hands behind his back. Mailloux zapped him with his Taser and handcuffed him.

Other officers responding from Gilford and Laconia assisted in searching Meiklejohn and found a small purple container that contained a substance that later field tested to be methamphetamine.

Sgt. Prosector Eric Bredbury argued for a minimum of $10,000 cash-only bail in court Thursday saying Meiklejohn was clearly a danger to the general public and that he was a possible flight risk because of his varying addresses. Bredbury said he has multiple convictions including one for first-degree assault and more recent ones in 2012 for second-degree assault and bail jumping from the Belknap County Superior Court.

Bredbury said he was so reckless, he fled with a police officer pointing a gun at him.

Meiklejohn was represented by a public defender who said personal recognizance bail would be appropriate because Meiklejohn owns a metals processing business in Belmont where he now lives, that he has no ties to Vermont, his family is here, and that he is supporting his college-bound daughter.

He said Meiklejohn told him he was recent diagnosed with a bi-polar disorder and would voluntarily seek help from Genesis Behavioral Health if he were to be released on personal recognizance bail. He also said that there was only one felony and four Class A misdemeanor charges – driving after revocation; disobeying an officer; simple assault, which carries additional penalties because the alleged assault was on a police officer; and resisting arrest that occurred in Laconia – that could be considered for bail. The balance are Class B misdemeanors or violations that don't carry jail sentences and can't be considered for bail purposes.