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Managing editor

A man who turned in front of a Blaine Police officer, causing him to brake sharply, was allegedly driving a stolen car.

Zaccheus Ven Watson, 20, Vadnais Heights, was arraigned in Anoka County District Court Dec. 16 on felony motor vehicle theft and receiving stolen property charges as well as a misdemeanor fleeing police other than in a motor vehicle.

Bail was set at $8,000. Watson is due back in court Jan. 14.

A Blaine Police officer southbound on 87th Lane the evening of Dec. 14, who had to brake sharply when the driver of a car turned into his path from TCF Bank, tried to initiate a traffic stop for inattentive driving, but the driver of the car instead sped up entering Northtown Drive by the Cub Foods, crossing medians and then crashing into a pile of snow.

According to the complaint, the man ran from the officer, who attempted to stop him with a Taser shot, but after he initially fell, he got up and the officer lost sight of him.

Police set up a perimeter and another officer spotted a man walking on Sanburnol Drive who fit the description given by the pursuing officer and who also had the residue from the Taser on his clothes.

The man, Watson, was allegedly identified as the man driving the car by the officer and police also allegedly learned that the car, which belonged to a TCF Bank employee, had been stolen from the bank parking lot after he had gone out to start it to warm it up.