Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A Swartz Creek man who led police on a 14-mile chase and fired shots at them after a traffic stop has been sentenced.

40-year-old Robert Joseph Nowotny was convicted by a Genesee County jury and found guilty of four felonies related to an incident in which he led police on a 14-mile chase from Mundy Township to Davison and fired shots at police.

Nowotny was sentenced earlier this month in Genesee County Circuit Court to 35 months to 100 years on an Assault with Intent to Murder charge; 23 months to 60 months for 3rd Degree Fleeing and Eluding Police; and 24 to 60 months for Carrying a Concealed Weapon. On a Felony Firearms count, Nowotny received a sentence of two years that must be served consecutively. He received credit for 334 days of time served on all charges but Assault with Intent to Murder.

Nowotny’s earliest release from prison is March of 2062.

According to investigative reports and testimony at trial on February 27th, 2025 officers from the Metro Police Authority responded to citizen reports of a suspicious van driving in a neighborhood with a very loud exhaust in the vicinity of Linden and Hill Roads. Police spotted the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Meijer store on Hill Road.

The driver, later identified as Nowotny, lowered his driver’s side window about an inch and refused to comply with an officer’s instruction to provide identification. As officers were talking to Nowotny, he put his van in gear and began driving away. Officers got back into their cruisers and began chasing Nowotny north on Torrey Road and east on Bristol Road.

An earlier release states “As officers were chasing Nowotny at speeds which never exceeded 40-miles-per-hour, Nowotny ran numerous red lights and crossed into the lanes of approaching traffic. At one point early in the chase, the rear driver’s side wheel on Nowotny’s van came off and it caused a continuous streak of sparks from the rear area of the van as it dragged on the pavement the entire rest of the chase. The rear of the van eventually became engulfed in flames and Nowotny stopped near M-15 and Bristol Road in Davison Township. With police vehicles slowly approaching the scene of the engulfed van, Nowotny exited and immediately turned toward police, pointed a pistol at them and emptied ten rounds of ammunition which penetrated an officer’s windshield and car seat, barely missing the officer. The officer exited his cruiser and returned fire striking Nowotny who fell to the pavement. Nowotny was immediately apprehended and handcuffed”.

After the jury verdict was announced, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton commented “This incident shows the life-threatening danger police officers may face at any time, even during a routine traffic stop. Fortunately and miraculously, no officers or citizens were killed or injured”.