New Jersey Man Convicted After Leading Police On Lengthy Pursuit
ELIZABETH, N.J. (AP) — A northern New Jersey man convicted of leading police in two towns on a long pursuit before he was caught with heroin is now facing a lengthy prison sentence.
Union County prosecutors say 33-year-old Shareef Mayfield of Orange was found guilty Thursday of eluding, drug possession and obstruction of justice. The verdict came after jurors deliberated for just 45 minutes following a week-long trial.
The charges stem from a January 2012 pursuit that began shortly after Hillside police stopped a vehicle Mayfield was driving for a minor traffic violation. As officers approached the car, Mayfield sped off and nearly knocked one of them down.
The officers chased Mayfield for nearly two miles into Union Township before he crashed the car and ran from the wreckage. The officers then chased Mayfield on foot across the 10 lanes of the north- and southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway into a residential area, where they arrested him.
Police found eight bags of heroin on Mayfield.
Prosecutors say Mayfield could receive nearly 27 years in prison when he's sentenced April 11. They say he has an extensive criminal record that includes 17 prior felony convictions, mostly drug-related offenses.
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