BAYSIDE — One suspect has been charged with fleeing from police and recklessly endangering safety after leading police on a 100 mph police chase.
On Sunday, Jan. 19, Bayside police said Latosha Walton, 36, and Darrell Brown, 37, stole nearly $1,000 in merchandise from Dick's Sporting Good's in Grafton. Police identified their car as a silver Chevy Malibu and believed it may be traveling southbound from Grafton on I-43.
Bayside Police Officer Cory Fuller drove his squad car to to the West County Line Road on-ramp on I-43 to wait for the vehicle. While Fuller was heading to the on-ramp he overheard on his radio that the same vehicle was involved in a theft at Target the weekend before.
Approximately three minutes after the theft at Dick's Sporting Goods, Fuller saw a silver Chevy Malibu approaching him. However, this vehicle had no license plates. Officer Fuller pulled out onto I-43 and began following the car to get a better look.
At the time, the vehicle was traveling at normal speeds. There was a little bit of traffic so officer Fuller activated his emergency lights and blipped his siren in order to get a vehicle to move over. After the vehicle moved, he turned his lights off.
After Fuller turned off his lights, the suspect vehicle began to increase its speed. It weaved between vehicles and went into the third lane as if it was going to exit. According to the criminal complaint, the vehicle continued driving southbound in the far right distress lane.
At this point, Fuller believed the car was trying to get away from him so he activated his lights and siren. Fuller informed other officers over the radio of the pursuit and requested assistance from the Glendale Police Department.
Speeds hit 100 mph several times throughout the pursuit, and eventually Fuller lost sight of the vehicle.
The Glendale Police Department had placed stop sticks on I-43 near West Silver Spring Drive, where the suspects had crashed. Fuller saw the police lights and when he arrived at the scene he found a blue vehicle flipped on its roof. According to the complaint, this vehicle appeared to have been clipped in the rear by the suspect vehicle. The passengers inside were treated on the scene and refused an ambulance.
The suspect vehicle had hit the barrier wall on the right side but continued south, going several miles per hour.
Fuller pulled up directly behind the suspect vehicle and saw the passenger side door open. Brown stuck out his hands, got out while the vehicle was still moving, and was placed under arrest.
The vehicle continued rolling with Walton moving around inside. A Glendale police officer conducted a PIT maneuver causing the suspect vehicle to stop. Walton was then taken into custody.
Brown and Walton were both taken to Froedtert Hospital for treatment and later released into police custody. During questioning, Brown stated that Walton was driving the whole time. He also said he didn't plan on stealing from Dick's Sporting Goods but Walton told him to.
Walton is now facing two counts of second degree recklessly endangering safety, and one count of fleeing/eluding police.
