Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Dept
A man is in custody and, according to one official, lucky to be alive following a high speed chase and less-than-lethal weapons fire, and eventual taser use early Monday morning.
A vehicle clocked at 120 MPH on northbound I-41 in the Township of Byron triggered a pursuit that soon transferred to Highway 151, and then onto I-41 southbound at speeds exceeding 130 MPH. During the pursuit, officers learned 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.
Stop sticks were successfully deployed near County Highway D near the Theresa Marsh where the interstate was closed for safety and deputies took cover as the suspect exited the vehicle firing two identical Glock-style BB guns at the squad cars. Recognizing the sound of BBs, officers brought the situation to a standoff in the roadway.
Numerous beanbag rounds struck the suspect, but failed to get him to drop the weapons over the course of minutes. Eventually a K9 was dispatched, holding the suspect until a taser was used to gain control.
There were no injuries to anyone involved beyond the suspect, who was treated and given a mental health evaluation at SSM Health in Fond du Lac. According to Fond du Lac Sheriff Waldschmidt, despite justified deadly force it was the result of collaboration and communication between multiple agencies, along with training, proper equipment and what he called “immense restraint on the part of our deputies” that led to the safe resolution of a potentially deadly situation.
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