Driver who led officers on motorcycle pursuit pleads guilty to resisting arrest

Logan Dakota Johnson, 28,  pleaded guilty on April 22, 2025, to resisting arrest by fleeing and creating a substantial risk of injury or death to any person. He was sentenced to 4 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, SES, and 5 years probation. 

An SES, or suspended execution of sentence, means a defendant will be sentenced to a prison term but will be placed on probation and will not go to prison unless they violate the terms of that probation.

Charges against Johnson stem from a incident on April 12, 2024, when he led officers in Baxter County, Arkansas, and Ozark County on a high speed pursuit on his motorcycle.

According to the filed probable cause statement prepared by Deputy Josh Sherman, at approximately 11:30 p.m. April 12, he was notified by dispatch of a motorcycle pursuit coming into Ozark County on Highway 5 from Baxter County, Arkansas. 

Sherman joined the pursuit with officers attempting to “box in” the motorcycle being driven by Johnson; however, the motorcycle was able to negotiate his way out of the formations. 

Johnson led officers east on Highway 160 in Gainesville, then turned around and headed west toward Theodosia. The motorcycle was traveling at speeds nearing 80 miles an hour in the 55 mile per hour zone, the report says.

The speed of the pursuit dropped dramatically as officers’ noticed fluids leaking from the bike. 

“Lt. [Matt] Rhoades was on Highway 160 and positioned his vehicle in a manner that caused a box method with my patrol vehicle on the opposite side. 

“I attempted to use my patrol vehicle to get in front of Logan to slow his rate of speed... Logan struck my vehicle on the front driver’s side fender and proceeded to drive the blue motorcycle off Highway 160 into a fence,” Sherman wrote.

Sherman wrote that Johnson then cleared the fence and fled on foot into a nearby field, where he was located and apprehended a short time later. There were no serious injuries.

Johnson still faces charges in Baxter County, Arkansas, in a related case.