Man in custody on several charges; accused of waving gun on freeway, subsequent pursuit, crash

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee County Sheriff's officials say a 21-year-old man was taken into custody on several charges, accused of waving a gun on the freeway following a road rage incident, leading officials on a pursuit, and eventually crashing into two parked cars on Sunday afternoon, April 3rd.

This incident began on Sunday afternoon, around 1:15 p.m., when a 911 caller told dispatchers a driver had waved a firearm out the window of a vehicle in the Zoo Interchange, before the vehicle exited at Watertown Plank Road.

Milwaukee County Sheriff's deputies observed the suspect vehicle suddenly make a U-turn and re-enter the freeway -- heading southbound on I-41/US Highway 45.

A pursuit then ensued, with the suspect vehicle exiting at Lincoln Avenue and heading eastbound at speeds above 70 miles-per-hour.

Three marked Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office squads followed the suspect vehicle, before terminating the pursuit near 76th and National, after the suspect vehicle committed multiple high speed red light violations.

The pursuit lasted for 1.8 miles.

West Allis police found a vehicle with severe front end and driver's side damage in the entrance to the Market Place Plaza at 70th and National Avenue. It was determined that the suspect vehicle had run over a fire hydrant and crashed into two parked cars.

West Allis officers observed the 21-year-old suspect, a man from Milwaukee, run from the crashed suspect vehicle, discarding a weapon (a .40 caliber Glock 22 handgun with a fully loaded magazine and one round in the chamber).

The suspect was taken into custody without incident and the handgun was recovered.

A search of the vehicle recovered a small quantity of marijuana.

A female passenger in the suspect vehicle was treated at the scene for head injuries suffered when she hit the windshield during the crash.

Both the man and woman who were in the suspect vehicle were taken to Froedtert Hospital for an evaluation.

Another person, who was in one of the two parked vehicle struck by the suspect vehicle complained of head, neck, back, chest, knee and shoulder injuries.

Sheriff's officials say a subsequent investigation revealed that the incident stemmed from a road rage incident related to merging into traffic from westbound I-94 at Hawley Road. The male suspect is alleged to have displayed the handgun out the driver's side window -- pointing it in the air.

The man was taken into custody on the following charges:

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