MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee man is facing charges connected to a pursuit that exceeded 100 mph and ended in a crash in May.
Jaden Isaiah Smith, 21, has been charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, one count second degree recklessly endangering safety, and one count sell/possess/use/transport machine gun.
According to a criminal complaint, Milwaukee police officers observed an SUV weaving through traffic near 48th and Hampton on May 27. The officers saw the SUV make a U-turn through a red light and speed into oncoming traffic. After attempting and failing to pull the SUV over, a police pursuit began.
The pursuit lasted 11.6 miles and reached speeds over 100 mph, the complaint says. The SUV, driven by Smith, ran 12 red traffic signals, four stop signs, and one yield sign while traveling in and out of oncoming traffic through residential neighborhoods.
At one point during the pursuit, detectives and officers were able to see the driver and passenger through the car window, the complaint says.
Stop sticks were attempted three different times. Two were unsuccessful and for one, the SUV drove into oncoming traffic to avoid the sticks, the complaint says.
The SUV collided with an occupied car eastbound on Interstate 94 near Jackson and Van Buren. The SUV then turned onto Interstate 794 westbound ramp, and officials could see two objects fly from the driver's window and over the barrier wall of the interstate, according to the complaint. At that point, the pursuit ended.
An officer searched the area where the objects were tossed. In a parking lot near St. Paul and Jefferson, an officer recovered a "Ghost Glock" with a fully automatic selector switch equipped to it, the complaint says. The firearm had an extended magazine and no serial number. It had an LF17 slide and P80 frame. In a different nearby location, officers found a black 9mm handgun with a detached base plate of the magazine and ammunition spread out from hitting the ground.
The complaint says law enforcement contacted the woman who was renting the SUV and she said she rented it for her "lil cuz." Smith was identified by the woman and by officers who saw him in the car during the pursuit. Photos on Smith's Facebook page also show Smith holding a firearm matching the one recovered.
Smith is a convicted felon and has a previous case in Milwaukee County from 2021.
A cash bond of $30,000 was set for Smith on Monday. He is due back in court on July 20 for a preliminary hearing. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum of 36 years in prison and an $85,000 fine.
