Wauwatosa police chase; man accused, pursuit reached 88 mph
London Jackson
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - A 20-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of leaving Wauwatosa police on a chase that reached speeds of nearly 90 mph. The accused is London Jackson – and he faces the following criminal counts:
- Second-degree recklessly endangering safety
- Flee or elude an officer
According to the criminal complaint, a Wauwatosa police officer conducted a traffic stop near 68th and State Street after spotting an SUV with expired registration. Behind the wheel of the SUV was the defendant, London Jackson.
During the traffic stop, the officer "could smell the distinct odor of marijuana and observed that the defendant was nervous," the complaint says. The officer then asked Jackson to exit the vehicle. But instead of getting out of the SUV, the complaint says "the defendant used his right hand to manipulate the gear shift of his car and placed the car from 'park' to 'drive.' The defendant then proceeded to rapidly accelerate his vehicle out of the parking spot and flee the officer," the complaint says.
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A police chase following. The complaint says the defendant violated several red lights and stop signs while driving in excess of posted speed limits. The pursuit ended when a tire deflation device was successfully deployed. The complaint says the pursuit lasted more than four minutes "with a total distance of 3.64 miles and top speeds of 88 mph."
During an interview with police, Jackson "admitted to fleeing the officers," the complaint says. He also "admitted to smoking marijuana at least eight hours before the stop." Officers had Jackson perform a standard field sobriety test. An officer noted "he did not believe the defendant was impaired," the complaint says.
Jackson made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Saturday, July 8. Cash bond was set at $500.