A 33-year-old Milwaukee man is in custody in Fond du Lac after authorities say he crashed his way out of a parking lot as they closed in on him and then led authorities on a chase before crashing into a civilian.
The man had 10 felony warrants, he recently led Dane County authorities on three separate pursuits, and was known to possess a handgun, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Friday night.
The incident took place just before 4 p.m. when a deputy with the sheriff’s office spotted a vehicle believed to be driven by the man.
According to the sheriff’s office:
The deputy lost the vehicle but the vehicle was spotted again, traveling in heavy traffic eastbound on West Johnson Street from Interstate 41 in the city of Fond du Lac.
The deputy continued to follow the vehicle at a distance before it turned onto a dead-end street and then into a small parking lot behind a local business. At this time, deputies and officers with Fond du Lac police initiated a high-risk traffic stop.
Authorities attempted to box-in the vehicle, but the driver rammed an unoccupied parked vehicle, pushing it out of the way. The vehicle traveled over an embankment, through backyards of residences and an apartment complex and then west onto Arndt Street.
The sheriff’s office said the driver “had no regard for human life” as he traveled at high speed through multiple stop signs.
At the intersection of North Peters Avenue and North Berger Parkway the suspected vehicle collided with an occupied civilian vehicle, causing disabling damage for both vehicles, according to the sheriff’s office. The other driver in the crash sustained minor injuries.
A foot pursuit ensued before a deputy used a stun gun to stop the man from fleeing, authorities said. The sheriff’s office said the man continued to fight with law enforcement and was attempting to kick out a window in the squad car so authorities placed the man in a restraint device.
The sheriff’s office said the man will received medical attention and then will be transported to the Fond du Lac County Jail. No patrol cars were damaged during the pursuit and no officers were injured.
