Court news: Felony charges dropped against man who smashed into gas pump while fleeing cops

DETROIT LAKES — Douglas Joseph Fairbanks, 33, of Waubun has had two felony first-degree damage to property charges dismissed against him in Becker County District Court, essentially because he is already in prison on a Mahnomen County weapons charge.

According to court records, on Aug. 10, 2020, a White Earth police officer was at the M&W Convenience Store in White Earth when he saw a stolen vehicle at the gas pumps.

Fairbanks got into the stolen vehicle, and the officer pulled his squad car in front of Fairbanks to prevent him from driving away, then activated his emergency lights.

Fairbanks responded by putting the stolen vehicle in reverse and accelerating backwards at a high rate of speed. He hit and destroyed the middle fuel pump, and the canopy above the fuel pumps shook the whole fuel area.

Fairbanks then sped away, a pursuit ensued, and he was eventually arrested in Mahnomen County. The total damage to the fuel pump was estimated at over $1,000, making it felony-level damage.

The original charges were filed in Becker County District Court on Aug. 8, 2020 in the form of a complaint warrant. Two other warrants were issued in 2021 when Fairbanks failed to make his initial appearance and then failed to appear for an omnibus hearing on Nov. 8, 2021.

There was no further activity on his file until a detainer agreement was filed from state prison in St. Cloud on Oct. 31, 2022, two weeks after he entered prison. That gave Becker County 180 days to bring Fairbanks to trial or otherwise resolve the charges.

He is serving a two-year (726-day) sentence on felony weapons charge filed in Mahnomen County District court, and is expected to be released Oct. 9, 2024, according to court records.

On May 5, Becker County District Court Judge Gretchen Thilmony dismissed the Becker County charges, noting that state law requires a defendant be brought to trial within 180 days of filing a Demand for Disposition of Charges.

"The state has not taken any action or filed any response to resume prosecution of this case," she wrote. "The charges in this matter are therefore dismissed (and) any active warrants in this file are quashed."

Alfonso Macias-Pulido, 33, of Detroit Lakes has been sentenced in Becker County District Court for felony domestic abuse – violating an order for protection two or more times within 10 years of a previous conviction.

The criminal complaint was not available online.

On April 28, he appeared before District Judge Michelle Lawson, who stayed imposition of sentence and placed him on supervised probation for five years. Successful completion of probation will result in a misdemeanor conviction.

Macias-Pulido was ordered to serve 54 days in jail, with credit for 54 days served, and was fined $500 plus $75 in court fees.

He was ordered to complete a diagnostic assessment and follow the recommendations, and to have no further violations of any order for protection.