UPDATE: New details have been released in an early morning high-speed police chase that ended in Davenport and a suspect who faces charges in connection with it.
At about 1 a.m. Monday, an Iowa State Trooper saw a GMC Yukon traveling westbound on I-74 from State Street in Bettendorf and noticed it did not have a registration plate displayed on the back. He activated his emergency lights as the Yukon was traveling westbound on Middle Road and it made an immediate U-turn before coming to a stop, according to arrest affidavits.
The trooper left his cruiser and told the driver to turn off the vehicle, affidavits say. The driver did not do so; instead, he placed the Yukon into gear and drove away at a high rate of speed. The trooper activated his emergency siren and gave chase as it entered onto I-74 eastbound towards Illinois. The vehicle’s speed increased in excess of 90 mph in a posted 55 mph zone before exiting onto State Street.
According to arrest affidavits, the pursuit continued through Bettendorf and Davenport, during which multiple traffic offenses were committed, including speeding in excess of 25 mph over the limit, unsafe turn, traveling on wrong side of divided highway, failure to obey traffic control devices, careless driving, and unsafe approach to certain stationary vehicle (nearly striking a Bettendorf Police Department cruiser head on).
The Yukon also drove through the yard in the 600 block of Brown Street in Bettendorf, causing damage to landscaping and yard with an estimate in excess of $1,500. The pursuit ended near the intersection of River Drive and Fourth Street, when the driver failed to maintain control and struck the curb with enough force to rip the tire and rim from the rear of the Yukon. The driver tried to accelerate but the vehicle became disabled. A felony stop ensued and the driver was taken into custody, affidavits show.
4 MORE
The driver was identified as 33-year-old John Robert Grafton, of Davenport, who is also listed as living in LeClaire. Grafton was discovered to have 18 individual bottles of 99 proof alcohol in the Yukon. He was transported to the Scott County jail and admitted to drinking alcohol.
He told officers he would fail all the standard field sobriety tests because he was intoxicated but would give a sample of his breath.
He faces charges of second-degree criminal mischief (a felony), driving while barred (a misdemeanor), eluding (a felony), no registration (a misdemeanor), OWI third offense (a felony), two seatbelt violations (misdemeanors) and use of a traffic control device (a misdemeanor). He is being held in the Scott County Jail on $16,000 bond.
According to affidavits, while he was being processed, Grafton told officers he had been in another pursuit with a trooper in October of 2022. The trooper from the October incident was the same one who tried to pull him over Monday morning. The trooper ended the October pursuit after the Yukon struck another vehicle and continued to flee. Grafton gave details only the driver of the SUV would know and that he had changed out the “year one” license plate for the advertisement plate he had on his Yukon at the time of his arrest, affidavits say.
EARLIER: An early Monday morning chase started with an Iowa State Trooper on Interstate 74, going through Bettendorf before it ended on 4th Street near River Drive in Davenport.
You can listen to audio from the chase in the video above that references “speeds at 100,” a Bettendorf squad car almost being hit head-on and the end when the Yukon being chased “lost a tire.”
One person was booked into Scott County Jail for felony eluding and other charges.
Once we confirm that’s the right person, we’ll share that information.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to Local 4 News, Fox 18 News and OurQuadCities.com for updates. Got a news tip? Forward it to Our Quad Cities News on Twitter or Facebook or download our app on your iPhone or Android phone.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sMHRqqyanJOewaqx0meaqKVfo7K4v46lppyZnGK7psPSaKeopJmYsm6vx5qqnmWVo7G0ecinZJ2Zppq7sbvRrWRrZw%3D%3D