Man pleads guilty to role in Ramsey County chase in which puppy was thrown from vehicle

A 34-year-old man pleaded guilty on Monday to theft of a motor vehicle and fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle in connection to his role in a police chase in Ramsey County that involved a puppy being thrown from the truck.

In exchange for Donovan Alan Goodman’s guilty plea, charges of first-degree aggravated robbery and illegally possessing a firearm were dismissed.

Goodman led Ramsey County deputies on a chase on Jan. 30 while driving the wrong way on I-694 in a stolen Ford F150. 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.