Jefferson County pursuit ends with arrest in Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, NE — A southeast Nebraska man with a checkered past is back in jail after a weekend pursuit.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office arrested 31-year-old Jesse Durflinger Sunday in Alexandria. According to a news release, a deputy saw Durflinger driving in Fairbury around 11:30 in the morning and knew he had a revoked driver’s license. He made a traffic stop but Durflinger sped off when the deputy approached the truck.

The release says the deputy pursued Durflinger on River Road north out of town and along county roads for about 16 miles to his home in Alexandria. Durflinger ran into his house and barricaded himself in the bedroom. Deputies entered the home and eventually arrested him.

Durflinger was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on suspicion of felony operating a vehicle to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving and second-offense driving during revocation.

Durflinger was already well-known to law enforcement. The Alexandria native has more than a dozen arrests and citations on his record. Most recently, he was charged with multiple driving and drug violations in March, 2020. After failing to show up for a court appearance, he made a plea deal and served 90 days in jail for drug possession.