Motorcyclist Who Outran Police Gets Arrested After Bragging On Facebook [PHOTO]

LAKE ORION (WWJ) - A motorcyclist who fled from police in the middle of the night, reaching speeds over 100 mph, was taken into custody after bragging about the escapade on Facebook.

Michael Thomas Brown, a 33-year-old Rochester Hills resident, is now facing a possible five years in jail following his arraignment on charges of reckless driving and fleeing a police officer - third degree.

Police say Brown was caught on security video at 2:15 a.m. Saturday, July 2 leaving the Sagebrush Cantina restaurant on South Broadway Street in Lake Orion on a motorcycle.

"Officer Brian Martinez was sitting at the traffic light at the intersection of E. Flint and S. Broadway a block away and observed the subject on the motorcycle performing a loud and aggressive brake torque in the street in a reckless manner," police said in a statement.

The officer, initiating a traffic stop, activated his emergency lights, pulled next to the motorcycle and exited his marked patrol car.

Police say Brown, "almost without hesitation," looked directly at the officer and made the decision to flee at a very high rate of speed toward M-24 (S. Broadway).

The officer activated his siren and started chasing Brown as he drove past a stop sign at a very high rate of speed, according to police, onto southbound M-24 where he rapidly accelerated.

"The officer was unable to locate the motorcycle in less than a half mile from the time the motorcycle entered M-24," police said.

At that point, the pursuit was terminated.

Days later, on July 4, investigators received a screenshot image of a Facebook post made by Brown, who claimed he was driving a motorcycle that fled Lake Orion Police and provided information about the crime that only the officer and the rider would know.

Based on that information, officers located Brown and apparently obtained evidence to connect him to the crime. On Tuesday July 26, Brown turned himself over to police and was arraigned at the 52/3 District Court.

"The single most dangerous thing most people will do every day is get behind the wheel of a car," said Police Chief Jerry Narsh. "When someone flees from the police or drives in a willful and reckless manner, they put us all at risk."

Brown was released on a $5,000 personal bond with a probable cause hearing scheduled for August 2.