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Milwaukee police chase, squads crash on south side
A Milwaukee man is accused of leading police on a high-speed chase in October. Two squads crashed during that pursuit.
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man is accused of leading police on a high-speed chase in October. Two squads crashed during that pursuit, and prosecutors say it's not the first time he was involved in a crash that injured an officer.
FOX6's Sam Kraemer will have more details on this story; tune in Thursday night at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Prosecutors charged 34-year-old Daubon Pena with eight felonies in the latest case. Court records show he is now jailed on $50,000 bond.
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Daubon Pena
Pursuit and crash | Oct. 28, 2024
Police were looking for Pena, who had multiple warrants for his arrest, on the city's south side last month. One of those warrants was tied to a case in which he is accused of causing a crash that injured a motorcycle officer, among other people, last summer.
According to a criminal complaint, officers eventually spotted Pena driving a gray Kia with Illinois license plates around 5 p.m. that night. The officers activated their unmarked squad's lights and sirens to stop Pena near Layton and Becher, but he made a U-turn and took off.
The pursuit stretched more than nine miles throughout the city's south side and on the interstate, where prosecutors said speeds surpassed 100 mph during rush hour traffic. It ended near 13th and Orchard when Pena jumped out of the still-moving car and ran into an alley. The gray Kia rolled and damaged a parked minivan.
During the chase, two pursuing Milwaukee police squads collided with one another near 11th and Greenfield, causing significant damage to both vehicles. Three officers were taken to a hospital with non-fatal injuries as a result.
Officers ran after and arrested Pena shortly thereafter. Court filings state the gray Kia had been reported stolen out of Chicago in September. Inside the car, police found suspected drugs, digital scales, cellphones and credit cards with Pena's name on them.
Wreck at 11th and Greenfield, Milwaukee
Damage to MPD vehicles involved in crash near 11th and Greenfield on Oct. 28 (Courtesy: MCDAO)
The Milwaukee Police Association told FOX6 News that the officers injured near 11th and Greenfield required a few days off from work after the crash and have returned to office duty; they are not back in the field. MPD confirmed they are back on the job.
Hit-and-run crash | Aug. 1, 2023
Court records show this is not Pena's first time charged in a crash that injured an MPD officer.
In August 2023, there was a multi-vehicle crash near 35th and North. Prosecutors said a black Dodge ran a red light and crashed into a red Mazda and a Milwaukee County Transit System bus. The red Mazda then struck a motorcycle officer who was stopped at the red light.
The motorcycle officer was taken to a hospital for treatment. The bus driver and a bus passenger were also taken to a hospital. The driver of the red Mazda was not injured, but the vehicle was severely damaged, per the complaint.
Video from the MCTS bus showed the black Dodge driving in the parking lane to get around vehicles that were stopped at the red light before crashing into the red Mazda, prosecutors said. It also showed the red Mazda hit the motorcycle officer and push it into the MCTS bus.
Crash at 35th and North, Milwaukee
The complaint states video also showed the shirtless driver, since identified as Pena, grab a small dog from the car before running from the scene. He was later arrested, and court records show he posted $6,500 cash bond and was released from custody in December 2023.
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In court
At the time of the pursuit, Pena was out on bond for two different Milwaukee County cases – one for the 2023 crash, the other for drug possession and driving a stolen car earlier this year.
In all, Pena is now charged with eight felonies and a misdemeanor for the October pursuit:
- Vehicle operator fleeing/eluding police – causing property damage (two counts)
- First-degree recklessly endangering safety
- Operating a vehicle without the owner's consent
- Possession with intent to deliver cocaine
- Felony bail jumping (three counts)
- Misdemeanor obstructing an officer
Court records show Pena is now jailed on $50,000 bond in the case.