Taser used on man arrested for OWI, 3rd offense, seen 'dancing barefoot,' performing 'karate moves' in traffic
MILWAUKEE -- A Sheboygan man, 30, was arrested Wednesday evening, July 25 for OWI, third offense, and sheriff's officials say a Taser had to be used to take him into custody, and medication had to be administered to calm him down.
Sheriff's officials said deputies responded to a crash just after 6:30 p.m. on I-43 southbound near Daphne Road. As a deputy approached, he saw a man jump over the median wall from the southbound side to the northbound side. The deputy positioned his squad to protect the man from oncoming traffic.
The man charged at the squad, and the deputy got out to order him to the ground, pointing his Taser at the man, who, sheriff's officials say clenched his fist, stared at the deputy and ignored verbal orders to get on the ground.
When he approached, less than 10 feet from the deputy, the deputy deployed the Taser.
The man went to the ground, jumped up and ripped the probes out of his chest. The deputy requested additional squads to respond to the scene.
Sheriff's officials say the suspect continued to walk in the northbound lanes of traffic and display erratic behavior, such as karate moves, ignoring the deputy and clenching his fists in a threatening manner.
Glendale police also responded to the scene, and sheriff's officials say the man ran from officers and started to leap over the median wall again, but was stopped by officers and deputies.
He dropped to the ground and suffered a laceration above his right eye. When the four officers tried to secure him with restraints, he was able to lift all four of them off the ground.
Once secured with wrist and leg restraints, Glendale emergency medical responders were able to treat his laceration and gave him medication to calm him.
He was transported to the hospital, and to the Milwaukee County Jail Thursday morning, where he was in the "Special Needs" area. After becoming increasingly combative, he was transported back to the hospital for additional treatment.
He faces charges of OWI, third offense/drugs, second degree recklessly endangering safety and resisting/obstructing. His prior OWI convictions took place in September 2009 and January 2013.
According to witness accounts, he caused the crash by passing a semi that was in the right lane at a high rate of speed in the distress lane, side-swiping the semi, bouncing off the right distress wall and into a vehicle in the left lane of traffic.
After the collision, he jumped out of his car and began to dance around, barefoot -- and then attempt to climb up the semi cattle hauler before going into traffic.