Man charged after refusing to comply with Bremer County officers

WAVERLY - A South Dakota man faces a series of weapons and traffic charges after Bremer County officials say he refused to comply with officers during a traffic stop near Waverly.

According to a news release, Bremer County officials were notified of a possibly intoxicated driver by the Chickasaw County Sheriff's Office just before 6 p.m. Tuesday. Brener County officials located the vehicle along Highway 218 and began following it.

The driver originally refused to stop for deputies and Iowa State Patrol officers, before stopping at a gas station between Waverly and Shell Rock, officials said. He then refused to identify himself or exit his car for about 20 minutes, before finally complying and being taken into custody.

Officers searched the driver's car afterwards and found two handguns, a .223 caliber rifle and numerous loaded magazines of ammunition, and learned that the driver had no valid permit.

The driver, Billy Duane Fleshner, 34, of Sioux City, S.D., was subsequently charged with two counts of possession of a dangerous weapon, an aggravated misdemeanor; and one count each of interference with official acts, failure to have a valid driver's license, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, and dark windows.

He was taken to the Bremer County Jail, were he was being held Friday on a $50,000 bond.