Bemidji man sentenced to just over a year and a half for role in police chase where puppy was thrown from vehicle

A Bemidji man learned his future on Wednesday after pleading guilty in connection with a police chase in which a puppy was thrown from the vehicle.

Donovan Alan Goodman, 34, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for theft of a motor vehicle and fleeing police in a motor vehicle. He was also given credit for 300 days already served and had one count of aggravated robbery and one count of illegal firearm possession dismissed.

Goodman was initially charged on March 2 with one count of first-degree aggravated robbery, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, one count of theft, and one count of fleeing a peace officer in the motor vehicle. He pleaded guilty to theft of a motor vehicle and fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle in December, according to court records.

RELATED: 2 suspects charged in Ramsey County chase involving puppy thrown from vehicle

Goodman led Ramsey County deputies on a chase on Jan. 30, 2023, while driving the wrong way on I-694 in a stolen Ford F-150. During the pursuit, one of the pickup’s doors opened and a puppy tumbled out and onto the road.

An officer executed a PIT maneuver and got the truck to stop. Goodman and another man ran away and each carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint to get away, according to a criminal complaint. Goodman left his phone and other evidence in the truck, which linked him to the incident.

Goodman was eventually tracked to his home in St. Paul after he had stolen an Uber driver’s car in Minneapolis on Feb. 23.

The puppy, “Taho,” was found the day after the chase with a broken leg and several cuts. He survived his injuries but later had to be euthanized due to aggression. The rescue that was caring for him said his aggression was likely due to the abuse he suffered in his upbringing.

Raylean Chastity Gurneau, 27, was sentenced Dec. 5 for throwing Taho from the truck. She received a stayed two-year prison sentence and three years of probation. She was also sentenced to 171 days in Ramsey County Jail but had credit for 171 days already served.