Kenner police say a 14-year-old on a motorcycle led officers on a roughly mile-long chase that ended on a golf course while people were still out playing. The pursuit started along the levee near Grandlake Boulevard after officers tried to pull the rider over and he took off, ignoring stop signs, jumping on and off the levee, then cutting across the course before finally giving up and surrendering.
What police say
According to WDSU, the chase began on Saturday when Kenner officers attempted a traffic stop on a motorcycle along the levee near Grandlake Boulevard and the rider refused to stop. Police told reporters the teen blew through stop signs and repeatedly drove on and off the levee, then steered onto the neighboring golf course even as golfers were on the fairways. Video shared with WDSU shows the motorcycle cutting across the grass before the juvenile eventually surrendered to officers.
Levee rules and possible penalties
The city’s traffic code makes it illegal to drive on canal banks and levee rights-of-way and caps speeds in levee areas at 15 mph, classifying violations as a misdemeanor, according to the Kenner Code of Ordinances. Those rules are intended to protect flood-control infrastructure and the recreation spots that line the Mississippi River levees. While the code spells out misdemeanor penalties for levee violations, any criminal counts connected to a police pursuit would be left to investigators and prosecutors to determine.
Local context
Juveniles leading officers on chases is not a new problem in Kenner. Previous incidents have involved teens in vehicles that were ultimately stopped in arrests or crashes, underscoring the danger to bystanders and first responders, according to earlier coverage by WDSU. Police in the area increasingly turn to camera systems and coordination with other agencies to track stolen vehicles and suspects, but officers regularly warn that high-speed pursuits carry serious public safety risks. Local officials and law enforcement leaders continue to urge drivers to pull over when signaled rather than try to run.
Next steps
The Kenner Police Department has not yet released details on what charges the 14-year-old might face and has asked anyone with information or video of the incident to reach out to investigators, according to media reports. The teen will move through the juvenile system, and any case that follows will be handled under juvenile-court procedures. This story will be updated if Kenner police share additional information.
