Kirk Raymond

A Minnesota man who recently led police on a high-speed chase on the North Fork Highway has been released on probation after spending two-and-a-half weeks in jail.

Kirk D. Raymond, 53, pleaded guilty to a felony count interference with a peace officer during a July 24 appearance in Park County District Court; it relates to Raymond trying to injure a pursuing Park County Sheriff’s deputy.

Raymond’s guilty plea came as part of a deal with prosecutors that involved three other counts — a felony charge of aggravated fleeing police and misdemeanor counts of driving while under the influence and possession of marijuana — being dismissed.

Raymond told authorities that he suffers from manic depression and had been off his medications for weeks at the time of his arrest.

“I actually thought I was going towards South Dakota,” he previously said in court.

District Court Judge Bill Simpson accepted the plea agreement on July 24, suspending two to four years of prison time in favor of three years of unsupervised probation. Raymond’s only requirement is to obey the law.

The Hutchinson, Minnesota, resident and disabled military veteran received credit for the 17 days he spent in jail following the July 5 incident. Raymond had led the Park County Sheriff’s Office and Wyoming Highway Patrol on a late night chase on U.S. Highway 14/16/20 between Buffalo Bill Reservoir and the Shoshone National Forest boundary. During the roughly half-hour pursuit, Raymond slammed on his brakes — nearly causing pursuing Deputy Bill Brown to crash into him and almost hitting a vehicle in the oncoming lane — and hit speeds that reached 100 mph. Authorities ultimately had to use spike strips to stop Raymond’s Audi A4. He reportedly smelled like alcohol and marijuana products were found in the vehicle, charging documents say.

Prior to his July 24 sentencing, Raymond’s bond had been set at $50,000, which he was unable to post. He was ordered to pay $250 in court fees and assessment as a part of his sentence.