A deputy with the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office observed a vehicle traveling 120 mph on I-41 northbound in the Township of Byron Monday morning, March 2 around 3:45 a.m. When the deputy activated emergency lights and sirens, the driver exited onto State Highway 151 but failed to stop.
The driver accelerated to speeds exceeding 130 mph. During the pursuit, the Fond du Lac County Communications received information that the driver had recently been reported missing out of Winnebago County and had allegedly purchased a BB or pellet gun while expressing suicidal intentions.
Deputies from the Washington County Sheriff's Office deployed Stop Stick tire deflation devices on I-41 near County Trunk Highway D. The suspect continued south before coming to a stop after two tires were deflated. Washington County sheriff’s deputies closed both northbound and southbound traffic on I-41 to protect motorists.
The driver began firing his pellet guns at squad cars. Deputies recognized the sound of the BB gun firing. The suspect ignored repeated commands to drop the weapons and surrender. The suspect eventually stopped running and stood in the roadway facing deputies in a standoff.
The suspect finally dropped the weapons and fell to the ground. A K9 held the suspect on the ground while deputies approached. He was taken into custody without further incident.
The man was transported for treatment of injuries and additional medical evaluation.
Fond du Lac Sheriff Waldschmidt added in a press release, “I personally want to thank the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin State Patrol for invaluable assistance. This is yet another example of the dangerous challenges our deputies face on an all too frequent basis. Although the use of deadly force was justified in this scenario, a combination of multi-agency collaboration, communication, training, proper equipment, and immense restraint on the part of our deputies culminated in a professional and coordinated effort to safely resolve this potentially deadly situation.”
No injuries were reported. The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, and an ambulance from Allenton.
