Fond du Lac County police chase goes airborne; Milwaukee man charged

Car flies over traffic while fleeing deputy

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office released video from a high-speed chase that shows a wanted suspect's car flying over traffic.

FOND DU LAC, Wis. - A 44-year-old Milwaukee man, Dewayne Stokes, is now charged in connection with a police chase that played out in Fond du Lac County. That high-speed chase was captured on dash camera video, and near the end of the pursuit, the suspect's car was seen jumping over traffic before crashing.

Stokes is charged with the following criminal counts: 

• First-degree recklessly endangering safety
• Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
• Vehicle/operator flee or elude officer (two counts)
• Felony bail jumping
• Resisting or obstructing an officer
• Possession of THC

Dewayne Stokes

Pursuit of wanted man

The backstory:

According to the criminal complaint, a Wisconsin State Patrol trooper on a motorcycle stopped a car on I-41 northbound on Saturday morning, May 9, for doing 87 mph in a 70 mph zone. The lone driver in the vehicle was identified by his Wisconsin driver's license as Dewayne Stokes.

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During a records check of Stokes, law enforcement called for backup because Stokes had an active felony warrant in Kenosha County. During this records check, Stokes fled the scene, the criminal complaint says.

Another deputy spotted Stokes' vehicle exiting I-41 at Military Road. The car briefly stopped at the top of the off-ramp, but then drove off again.

The chase continued through a parking lot and onto Pioneer Road. The complaint says the "suspect vehicle accelerated to speeds of approximately 110 mph in a 35 mph zone." The vehicle eventually got back onto northbound I-41. 

As the car sped toward the Winnebago Street off-ramp, it went into a ditch, up the embankment and over traffic on Winnebago Street before coming to a rest in a field on the other side of the street.

Fleeing suspect goes airborne over Winnebago Street during pursuit (Courtesy: FDLCSO)

Stokes got out of the car and ran, but was tased and taken into custody – ending a pursuit that covered four-and-a-half miles. Stokes was the only person in the car.

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Stokes was taken to a hospital with minor injuries after the Fond du Lac County chase. 

A search was conducted on Stokes' car. Law enforcement located "several packages of green leafy substance and a black rectangular object," the complaint says. That rectangular object was later determined to be a "concealable firearm that folded in and had two rounds of live ammunition inside of it," the court filing says. 

What's next:

Stokes made his initial appearance in Fond du Lac County court on Friday, May 15. The court set his cash bond at $25,000. Stokes is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Jun 24. 

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