MUSKEGON, Mich. – A Muskegon County woman was sentenced Thursday after a bizarre chain of events that began with a domestic assault investigation last summer and culminated in the theft of a police cruiser and a high-speed chase across two counties.
Cortney L. Morey, 36, was sentenced to a year in jail with credit for roughly six months already served. In addition to jail time, Morey was placed on three years of probation. The court also ordered her to pay over $1,200 in fines and court costs.
The incident began on the evening of August 3, when Michigan State Police responded to a domestic assault call near Ravenna. Officers found Morey in a distressed state, seated on the ground. When a trooper attempted to arrest her for assaulting a domestic partner, a struggle ensued. According to police records, Morey bit the trooper during the altercation.
Despite being handcuffed, Morey was able to free herself from the restraints. She then climbed into the driver’s seat of the state police cruiser, which had been parked nearby, and sped off, sparking a police chase. The pursuit, which was caught on police dashcam footage, was widely shared on social media, drawing attention from viewers across the region.
Morey’s joyride came to an end in Newaygo County after she crashed the stolen cruiser. She was arrested at the scene without further incident.
In December, Morey pleaded guilty to charges including assaulting a police officer, fleeing from police, and unlawfully driving away a motor vehicle. A charge of malicious destruction of property was dismissed during the plea hearing.
The incident has become a notable example of the unpredictable nature of police work, with Morey’s actions drawing attention not only for their audacity but for the strange sequence of events that unfolded on that summer evening. Authorities have not indicated any prior criminal history for Morey, and the incident left many questioning how a suspect could manage to escape and commandeer a police vehicle under such circumstances.
As Morey serves out her sentence, the case serves as a reminder of the unpredictable challenges law enforcement officers sometimes face in the line of duty.
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