Man given 4 years probation for chase

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A Worthington man was sentenced to four years of community control last week after pleading guilty to charges of failure to comply and OVI for leading police on a high-speed chase in July.

Shannon Lee Butler, 26, appeared in Delaware County Common Pleas Court Friday afternoon to be sentenced on a count of failure to comply with an order or signal of police officer, a third-degree felony and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Butler entered a guilty plea to the charges at a hearing on Dec. 15.

The pleas were entered as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors and a second OVI charge was dismissed.

Butler told Delaware County Common Pleas Judge Everett Krueger that on July 26 he had been at a friend’s house watching sports when he left to drive back home.

“I thought I was fine, but I guess not,” Butler said at the December hearing. “Midway home it kicked in. I don’t remember anything but waking up in jail.”

Assistant Delaware County Prosecutor Cory Goe told Krueger that on July 26, City of Delaware Police received a call about a hit-skip accident on U.S. 23 just before midnight. Goe said police attempted to pull Butler over, but Butler fled police onto Central Avenue at speeds exceeding 80 mph. He said Butler made a sharp turn at the Speedway on Central Avenue and drove across the street, striking a fence then a gate and finally hitting a tree in front of Grady Memorial Hospital.

Goe said that Butler was then taken into custody and said that he had a blood-alcohol level of .223, more than twice the legal limit.

Butler said those actions weren’t something he would do, but since he has no memory of what happened and the “evidence is clear” he plead guilty.

At the sentencing hearing on Friday, Krueger sentenced Butler to four years of community control and his license was suspended for three years.

Furthermore, Butler was ordered to complete 180 hours of community service. Butler was also ordered to $4,600 in restitution to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Butler posted bail after appearing in Delaware Municipal Court in July and was not in jail Monday.

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By Glenn Battishill

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Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903 or on Twitter @BattishillDG.

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