MILWAUKEE COUNTY — Neighbors say loud, dangerous driving took over streets in Glendale and Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood early Sunday morning.
What they’re calling a street takeover left residents who live nearby shaken.
Watch: Residents that live near street takeovers early Sunday morning in Glendale and Bay View explain their experiences witnessing what took place.
The sound of engines revving and tires screeching echoed through the night as groups of drivers took over intersections—spinning, racing and drawing crowds.
In Bay View, Andrew Rinker says the noise started early Sunday morning and didn’t let up.
“It was about 1 a.m. when I heard engines revving, and it didn’t stop for about half an hour,” Rinker said.
Rinker, who lives near Lincoln and Kinnickinnic, said what began as loud engines quickly became more concerning.
“After the engines revving, I heard what sounded like a few gunshots, and then it got quiet enough for me to fall back asleep,” Rinker added.
But that quiet didn’t last long.
Rinker said he woke up again about an hour later—this time to flashing lights filling his apartment.
“It was about 2 a.m. when I woke up again. That’s when I saw more ambulances and police cars than I’ve ever seen on a street corner,” Rinker explained.
Rinker noted that nearly a dozen emergency vehicles responded to the scene.
“My apartment was flooded with flashing police lights. I looked out and saw probably around 10 different emergency response vehicles all together,” Rinker said.
For Rinker, it was an unfamiliar experience in the neighborhood he’s lived in for about a year now.
“That’s what was quite surprising about it,” Rinker said.
He added that while it raised some concerns, it also served as a reminder of city life.
“That’s what you sign up for living in an urban area. It reminds you of where you live,” Rinker said.
About 20 minutes away in Glendale, a similar scene played out earlier in the night—but much closer to home for Alex Payne and his family.
Payne said he recently moved back to the area, hoping it would be a safe and quiet place to bring his family.
“We figured it would be a safe place to raise our son,” Payne said.
But just before midnight, that quiet was interrupted.
“Last night, we heard people yelling and cars screeching, and our baby started crying,” he said.
Payne said the activity lasted about 30 minutes, starting around 11:45 p.m. After noticing someone near his fence, he called police.
Within minutes, he said officers arrived—and the scene quickly changed.
“I went outside to take a look and saw someone on the other side of my fence. There were people running out of here and up and down our driveway. It was irritating,” Payne explained.
Payne said people began fleeing the area, some even running through his yard.
While no one was hurt near his home, Payne said the situation could have easily escalated.
“It just takes one person to mess up, and it can get really bad really quickly,” Payne said.
He added that repeated incidents like this can make people more comfortable taking risks.
“When it keeps happening, people get more and more comfortable doing it. It’s really disappointing for us as a family,” Payne added.
Payne said beyond the noise and disruption, it’s the lack of accountability that stands out most.
“There’s nothing wrong with hanging out with your friends, but there is something wrong with tearing up your community,” Payne noted.
Payne said he hopes incidents like this serve as a wake-up call.
“I hope people take notice and do something different. It brings your whole community down when you go out and do this. It ruins a lot of things for a lot of people,” Payne said.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
