A 29-year-old Baileys Harbor man is behind bars after a rear-end crash on a rural Door County highway spiraled into a head-on collision with a Sturgeon Bay police vehicle, a false claim of having a gun, and a jolt from a police taser near Michigan Street and 18th Avenue. The chaotic sequence unfolded on September 12, leaving one officer with minor injuries.
It started earlier that day when Sturgeon Bay police received a report of a vehicle rear-ending another car along Highway 57 near Jorns Road in the Town of Jacksonport, according to WLUK. Highway 57 was the site of the initial report, and the incident then carried the encounter from that rural corridor into the heart of the city.
By the time the encounter reached Michigan Street near 18th Avenue, the suspect's vehicle collided head-on with a Sturgeon Bay police squad car, the station's report states. A second police vehicle boxed in the suspect's car from behind, but the driver ignored commands to show his hands and get out of the vehicle, per the same account.
Suspect Claimed to Have a Gun Before Getting Tased
The man eventually got out of the vehicle and walked toward officers, at which point he claimed to have a gun, police say. Officers did not find a weapon on him, but when he ignored commands to stop, they used a taser to subdue him, the outlet reports.
The collision happened on Michigan Street near 18th Avenue. One officer suffered minor injuries in the crash and was taken to a hospital, where they were treated and released, the station's report notes. The suspect was taken to the Door County Jail, which operates under Sheriff Tammy Sternard, according to Door County Pulse. His name had not been released to the public as of the report.
What Charges Could Follow Under Wisconsin Law
Wisconsin law treats fleeing or eluding a marked police vehicle after receiving visual or audible signals as a felony carrying up to six years in prison, according to MVS Legal. Separately, first-degree recklessly endangering safety is a Class F felony under state statute, punishable by up to 12.5 years in prison and $25,000 in fines when conduct creates a substantial risk of death or great bodily harm with utter disregard for human life, according to Chirafisi Anderson S.C., which notes that physical injury is not required to substantiate such a charge.
A Corridor Already Under Scrutiny
A Corridor Already Under Scrutiny Michigan Street has drawn heightened attention in recent months. An 80-year-old driver from British Columbia died following a crash on nearby Highway 42/57 between Michigan and Alabama streets, according to Door County Pulse. A 75-year-old pedestrian also died after being struck by a left-turning vehicle at 3rd Avenue and Michigan Street.
Traffic injury crashes have occurred across Door County, including in Sturgeon Bay. Statewide, motor vehicle collisions cause deaths and nonfatal hospitalizations each year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Notably, Sturgeon Bay cut ties with Flock Safety automated license-plate reader cameras, a system designed to help track stolen vehicles and fleeing suspects across county lines. Flock camera networks are also mentioned in the linked material.
Formal criminal charges from the Door County District Attorney had not been announced as of the latest report, and the suspect's identity remains unreleased pending those charges.
