Brookfield police chase; Milwaukee man arrested, pursuit topped 120 mph
BROOKFIELD, Wis. - A 21-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of leading police on a chase that reached speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour on Sunday, Feb. 25. The accused, Angel Hernandez, now faces the following criminal counts:
- Attempting to flee or elude an officer
- First-degree recklessly endangering safety (two counts)
According to the criminal complaint, a Brookfield police officer was parked near 128th and W. Capitol Drive around 3 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25 when he spotted a gray Audi which he indicated "had a loud exhaust and had no rear registration plate," the complaint says. The officer noted there was a front Wisconsin license plate.
When the officer began to follow the Audi, he noticed the car's taillights were not out -- and "he observed the driver accelerate heavily." When the officer attempted to catch up to the Audi, he noted the driver in the car was "traveling at approximately 80 miles per hour in a 50 mile per hour posted speed limit zone," the complaint says. Another officer indicated on the radio he would set up a tire deflation device ahead of the Audi. That attempt failed.
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The police chase continued -- at one point traveling 50 miles an hour in a 25 miles per hour speed zone and a residential neighborhood.
When the pursuit ended up back on Capitol Drive, another officer indicated "he believed his stop sticks were successful" on the Audi -- but the driver of the car, later identified as Angel Hernandez, did not stop. The complaint indicates the defendant "now extinguished the headlights and rear lights of the vehicle and continued eastbound at speeds of 122 miles per hour in the posted 50 mile per hour zone."
The complaint says as the Audi crested the hill on Capitol Drive just west of Pilgrim Road, the officer "observed the driver of the gray Audi activate the brakes at which time it began to swerve into the ditch on the south side of Capitol Drive." The driver lost control of the car "causing the passenger side of the Audi to crash into two posted signs," the complaint says. As the Audi jumped the culvert into the curb, the pursuing officer "observed the driver of the gray Audi nearly strike (another officer's) marked City of Brookfield squad," the complaint says. After attempting to regain control, the car came to a complete stop.
The defendant was immediately arrested -- and two passengers were also taken into custody. It was noted the passenger side airbags on the vehicle had deployed due to the accident.
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When police asked Hernandez why he fled, he stated "he was nervous" because "his license was suspended and his license plates were suspended," the complaint says. A search of the vehicle turned up nothing illegal.
Hernandez made his initial appearance in Waukesha County court on Monday, Feb. 26. Cash bond was set at $3,500.