Holly Bliffert
HARTLAND, Wis. - A Hartland woman has been criminally charged after authorities say she led police on a chase which ended in a standoff with police.
Pewaukee to Hartland police chase
What we know:
42-year-old Holly Bliffert has been charged with two counts of attempting to flee/elude an officer and three counts of felony bail jumping.
The incident happened on Tuesday night, Jan. 14, in Pewaukee and Hartland.
According to the criminal complaint, at about 9:15 p.m., Pewaukee officers were dispatched for a report of a reckless driver near Main and College. The vehicle was described as a silver Kia with front-end damage and a flat right tire.
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The vehicle got on State Highway 16 and a Pewaukee Police officer was able to catch up to it. The officer saw the vehicle was throwing up sparks and pieces of concrete because the front tire was flat and riding on the rim. The officer also noted that the vehicle was significantly deviating from the lanes and traveling at about 40 to 50 mph with its hazard lights on, per the complaint.
A check of the vehicle registration showed it was registered to the defendant, Holly Bliffert.
The complaint goes on to say the officer turned on his squad lights and sirens to try and pull the vehicle over. The vehicle did not pull over, and continued to deviate from the lanes, kick up pieces of concrete, and leave car parts on the highway. Some of those pieces hit the officer's squad car.
A Hartland Police officer saw the vehicle heading westbound on State Highway 16 at Jungbluth Road and that's when Hartland Police and the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office took over. A Hartland Police officer started to pursue the vehicle, turning on his lights and sirens. The vehicle did not pull over.
Hartland police chase, highway standoff; 42-year-old woman accused
A Hartland police chase ended in a highway standoff. The driver's tire was stripped down to the rim.
Police set up stop sticks on the highway near North Avenue and State Highway 83. The vehicle hit both sets of stop sticks and eventually came to a stop just west of State Highway 83, per the complaint.
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The entire pursuit lasted about 2.5 miles.
Police standoff
Timeline:
The complaint goes on to say that officers told the driver, later identified as the defendant, Holly Bliffert, to get out of the vehicle several times. Bliffert did not get out of the vehicle, and continued to rev the engine in hopes of fleeing again.
Officers continued to order Bliffert out of the vehicle for nearly a half hour, but she did not.
Officers then used a variety of tools to get her out, including pepper balls, shatter balls, and specialized pry bars to get her out.
Interview with defendant
What they're saying:
Bliffert was taken to Waukesha Memorial Hospital. She later told police that when she saw all the police lights behind her and the pursuit started, she was "so scared of dealing with more male police officers that she claims harass her" per the complaint.
Other criminal cases
What we know:
Court records indicate the woman has three open criminal cases in Waukesha County since 2023. In one, prosecutors charged her with battery to a law enforcement officer.
Just before Christmas, court records indicate she was arrested after being combative with Hartland police. Investigators say she was upset when a Sendik's employee refused to sell her alcohol – because she appeared drunk.
In two of the cases, she posted cash bail. In another case, she signed a signature bond.
Court proceedings
What's next:
A competency exam was ordered for Bliffert on Jan. 24. A review hearing is scheduled for Mar. 17.
The Source: The information in the post was provided by the Waukesha County District Attorney's Office. Court information was provided by the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website.