Ladell Harrison, 28, has been charged in connection with Milwaukee Police Officer Charles Irvine's death and Officer Matthew Schulze's injuries.
Sitting in shackles and only whispering to his attorney, Harrison learned he was facing 12 charges including fleeing to elude resulting in death, knowingly operating while revoked resulting in injury.
Irvine died after a short chase that started at 91st and Silver Spring and ended just a mile later under the 76th street bridge.
"He takes off from police at speeds that are clocked at over 95 miles an hour. He gets away," said prosecutor Grant Ian Huebner while in court.
According to the criminal complaint, "The dispatch from Officers Schulze and Irvine begins to say the license plate at which point the sounds of tires screeching can be heard. There is no further communication from the squad..."
According to a witness statement, the squad hit the curb and flipped "approximately 20 times before coming to a stop on its roof." One of the officers walked away from the crash with "blood covering his face." The "other officer had been thrown from the vehicle and was face down in the dirt."
Harrison later told police in a statement, "he fled from officers... because he knew he should not be driving because his license was revoked, because he had a firearm in the car, and... his 5-year-old son... was in the vehicle with him."
Harrison is also facing drug charges.
"I would also note Your Honor, this case involves a significant amount of high level dealing of both cocaine and heroin," said Huebner.
According to the criminal complaint, he was linked to selling "fentanyl, masquerading as heroin." That includes a case where a Waukesha County woman died after overdosing on fentanyl, likely sold to her by Harrison. He now will face the drug and fleeing charges together.
"Clearly we are all aware with the tragedy that comes along with this case," said Jonathan Carver Smith, Harrison's attorney. "That being said obvisiously we have a number of issues we need to explore in relation to those charges."
Harrison is facing more than 60 years in prison. His bail was set at $500,000 and he will be on GPS monitoring.
