Charges referred against man accused of jumping into lake, attempting to swim from officers in Whitewater

WHITEWATER -- The Whitewater Police Department was referring multiple charges against a man following an incident Saturday night, July 20.

According to officials, the Whitewater Police Department responded to a call from a Jefferson resident around 10:50 p.m. The resident reported that a 22-year-old Palmyra man was consuming alcohol at V's Waterfront Venue in Whitewater. The man had reportedly violated a court order and was out on bond from a previous charge.

Officers located the man inside V's Waterfront and took him into custody. While changing over from traditional handcuffs to a transport belt, the man ran from officers and entered Cravath Lake.

A search ensued, and Whitewater police requested boat assistance from additional agencies. The man was located within 30 minutes, but continued to evade officers by swimming and concealing himself in the lake. He was ultimately taken into custody just before 2 a.m. Sunday.

The Whitewater Police Department referred charges including felony escape, bail jumping, resisting/obstructing an officer, and violation of probation. The case was set to be presented at the Walworth County District Attorney's office Monday.