Milwaukee man accused; driving drunk, fleeing police in Oak Creek
OAK CREEK, Wis. - A 30-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of driving drunk and fleeing from police during a traffic stop in Oak Creek in January. The accused is Keith Norrington – and he faces the following criminal counts:
- Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence-2nd offense
- Flee or elude an officer
According to the criminal complaint, Oak Creek police officers were alerted on Saturday, Jan. 22 to a subject who was unconscious in a red vehicle parked in the Drexel Town Square area. When they approached the vehicle, they "observed a single occupant in the driver's seat, who was hunched over and appeared to be 'passed out,'" the complaint says. The officers also spotted an open bottle of liquor in the car.
The complaint says the officers started knocking on the windows of the red vehicle --a nd after about 45 seconds, the driver sat up. The driver lowered his window "in an apparent attempt to show he had been using or looking at his phone." When asked to show a form of identification, the complaint says the driver "appeared to have difficulty finding his wallet." Eventually, the driver found his license -- and provided it to officers. The driver was identified as Norrington -- and officers "learned the defendant's license was suspended," the complaint says.
Officers noted Norrington "had red and glassy eyes, slurred and mumbled speech, and poor motor functions. The defendant denied drinking or consuming drugs and said the open bottle in the Audi was for someone else." The complaint says officers feared the defendant would attempt to drive away -- and arranged to have stop sticks placed behind the car's rear tires.
The complaint says officers asked the defendant to exit his vehicle approximately seven times, but the defendant did not comply. At one point, the complaint says the defendant started the car and "said he did so to keep himself warm." But moments later, when one of the officers reached inside the partially opened window to open the driver's door from the inside, the defendant grabbed the officer's hand. The officer was able to open the door but "the defendant held the door handle and attempted to close the door on the officers."
Officers then attempted to remove the defendant from the vehicle, he "revved the car's engine," and eventually "put the Audi in reverse and accelerated rapidly backwards," the complaint says. That movement caused an officer to be thrown onto the pavement -- before the defendant drove away from the officers "without his headlights illuminated."
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According to the complaint, a pursuit began -- and approximately five miles later, the pursuit ended. Officers with the Milwaukee Police Department later found the Audi near 4th and Michigan outside an apartment building. Officers located the defendant in one of those apartments and took him into custody.
Keith Norrington
Norrington made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Jan. 26. During that appearance, Norrington pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on March 14.
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