A welfare check turned into a high-speed incident that took both Vilas and Oneida county police on a 20-mile chase through both counties last Thursday evening.
Vilas County deputies were responding to a welfare check in the Town of Lincoln at approximately 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 24. Upon their arrival, they encountered an armed male sitting in a vehicle, who then proceeded to become agitated and aggressive with deputies on scene before fleeing the residence in the vehicle.
An Eagle River Police officer was requested to help stop the vehicle using spike strips. Contact with the vehicle was lost immediately after deploying the spike strips due to the road conditions and limited visibility.
During a cursory search of the area, the suspect was located and had already gained access to another vehicle. Upon seeing deputies, the suspect fled in the stolen vehicle. A pursuit occurred where the suspect fled west on State Highway 70 and then turned south on US Highway 45. Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and the Three Lakes Police Department were notified and assisted with the pursuit.
The pursuit continued for more than 20 miles and eventually resulted in the rollover of the suspect vehicle on State Highway 17 in Oneida County.
As the suspect continued to be uncooperative with law enforcement, various nonlethal measures were deployed, including 12 gauge bean bag rounds used to open a window, along with pepper ball munitions. The suspect was then taken into custody without any further incident. The suspect was injured during the crash and was transported to St. Mary’s in Rhinelander and flown by helicopter to Aspirus in Wausau. Both Vilas and Oneida counties are investigating the incident.
Responding agencies included Vilas County Sheriff’s Office, Eagle River Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, Three Lakes Police Department, Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, and Oneida County EMS Med 8.
The identity of the suspect has not yet been released.
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