Man who stole U-Haul, led police on cross-county chase could serve 10 years
GRAND RAPIDS — The man responsible for leading officers on a two-county chase last September after allegedly stealing a motorcycle (and later a U-Haul) faces up to 10 years in prison.
Robert Gallup, of Kentwood, has been fined over a quarter of a million dollars and could serve a decade for one count of unlawfully driving a vehicle away, one count of fleeing a police officer, five counts of felonious assault and one count of malicious destruction of police property, according to the Ottawa County Circuit Court Clerk.
He faces fines of $252,175.25 for the destruction of property, fleeing and assault charges and another $4,622 for unlawfully driving a vehicle away.
The charges stem from a police chase that began Sept. 9 when Walker police began investigating a stolen motorcycle. Officers started struggling with Gallup and fired rounds at him. It was later determined he'd been hit in the gunfire.
Gallup then drove off in a car but soon ditched it and swam across the Grand River. From the other side, in Georgetown Township, Gallup stole a U-Haul from a couple who was moving out of an apartment.
He led deputies from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office on yet another chase, during which he hit multiple cruisers, other vehicles, street signs and mailboxes.
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“The subject struck numerous sheriff’s deputies, one of them, at least, head-on. There’s multiple crashed cruisers back there right now,” Ottawa County Capt. Jacob Sparks said in September. “Thankfully, nobody was hurt more seriously.”
A deputy eventually shot at Gallup and the U-Haul stopped when disabled by a deputy. Gallup was arrested and brought to the hospital with a gunshot wound. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker did not charge the Walker officer who shot Gallup, saying he was justified in his use of force.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Man who stole U-Haul, led police on cross-county chase could serve 10 years
