Jared Anderson, a heavyweight contender, faced a third-degree felony charge of fleeing a police officer during his arraignment on Saturday morning. The Huron Township director of public safety reported that Anderson allegedly led officers on a chase spanning over 6 miles, reaching speeds exceeding 130 mph.

According to police reports, Anderson fled from officers in an orange Dodge Challenger around 1:36 p.m. ET on Thursday. The pursuit involved three attempted traffic stops and concluded when the boxer crashed into a median. He was released on Saturday morning after posting a $10,000 bond, with the condition that he refrains from driving except for court-related travel.

His next court appearance, a probable cause hearing, is scheduled for March 13 in Romulus, Michigan, followed by a preliminary exam on March 20.

Following the crash, Anderson, 24, was apprehended without further trouble by the police. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison, a $1,000 fine, and a one-year suspension of his driver’s license.

Currently training in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio, Anderson (16-0, 15 KOs) is preparing for a “Top Rank Boxing on ESPN” main event against Ryad Merhy on April 13 in Corpus Christi, Texas. He holds the No. 8 spot in ESPN’s heavyweight rankings and is widely regarded as one of America’s most promising heavyweight contenders.

“We certainly believe it was a case of him baiting us based on the fact he had a camera mounted to the back of his vehicle and that he continued to play a cat-and-mouse game,” Everette Robbins, the Huron Township director of public safety, told ESPN on Saturday.

“We’re very fortunate that nobody got hurt; the speed reached high levels. Very fortunate our officers were able to balance the public safety with getting him into custody based on his dangerous behavior. The fact he kept going northbound, southbound, it was certainly some attempt to cop bait.”

While conducting traffic enforcement, an officer spotted Jared Anderson’s orange Dodge Challenger, which had distinctive features such as a black hood, yellow coverings on the front splitter, and a camera mount with a pole attached to the rear windshield. Anderson maintained a speed of 70 mph, but upon seeing the officer, he accelerated to 91 mph.

As the officer signaled for Anderson to pull over, he began overtaking other vehicles at a high speed. Despite the officer activating his lights, Anderson initiated a chase covering 5.28 miles, reaching speeds exceeding 130 mph and weaving dangerously through traffic. Concerned for public safety, the officer terminated the pursuit.

After briefly exiting and re-entering the freeway in the opposite direction, Anderson once again evaded a traffic stop by accelerating to over 130 mph, covering 0.81 miles before once more weaving recklessly through traffic.

Shortly after the second pursuit, a 911 call reported Anderson’s reckless driving. The officer spotted Anderson at a stop sign before he sped off towards the freeway. Another attempted traffic stop followed, but Anderson again fled, weaving through traffic for 0.32 miles before the brief chase ended.

Finally, an assisting officer witnessed Anderson’s vehicle crossing all three lanes and crashing into the median.

In a previous incident in November in Ohio, Anderson was arrested and charged with improperly handling firearms in a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He pleaded no contest to a reduced charge in December, receiving a fine of $200 and a 180-day suspended sentence, contingent upon avoiding similar offenses within a year.

Anderson’s most recent fight was in August, where he secured a fifth-round TKO victory over Andriy Rudenko. In 2023, he fought twice more, defeating George Arias in March (TKO 3) and former heavyweight titleholder Charles Martin in July. The decision victory over Martin marked the only time an opponent of Anderson’s went the distance.

By Vincent Quezada

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images & TMZ