Racine police officer injured, car hit; man charged with OWI
Jahleel Spencer
RACINE, Wis. - A 25-year-old Racine man is charged with multiple counts – accused of hitting a police officer's squad car, injuring the officer, on Sept. 18.
Prosecutors say Jahleel Spencer was intoxicated at the time of the hit-and-run, which happened near 16th Street and Memorial Drive.
A criminal complaint states authorities were informed of a red box truck that had hit a Racine police officer's squad car and kept driving. The truck was later stopped by Racine police on 13th Street.
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The officer said she was blocking traffic on Memorial Driver when her squad was hit by the truck. The incident was recorded on squad and body cameras. The officer was taken to the hospital with injuries and pain to her ribs.
According to a criminal complaint, Spencer was identified as the driver of the truck involved. Law enforcement at the scene noted a "strong odor of intoxicants" on his breath. After performing field sobriety tests, Spencer provided a breathalyzer sample with a result of .257 – more than three times the legal limit. He was arrested for operating while intoxicated and taken to the hospital for a legal evidentiary blood draw.
Spencer is charged with hit-and-run causing injury and operating while intoxicated causing injury. He made an initial court appearance on Sept. 20. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Oct. 7.
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