Milwaukee man flees from police with baby in back seat: complaint
Anthony Griffis
MILWAUKEE - A man has been charged with several felonies after prosecutors say he led Milwaukee police on a high-speed chase through the city with a child in the backseat.
According to the criminal complaint, on Wednesday, April 10, at around 8:41 p.m., two Milwaukee police officers saw a silver Audi traveling south on N. 15th Street near Clarke. There was no front license plate on the car.
Officers conducted a traffic stop and the driver, later identified as 27-year-old Anthony Griffis, did initially pull over. However, officers noted the vehicle was still in drive with Griffis pressing the brake. Per the complaint, when officers yelled at Griffis to put the car in park, he fled.
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Officers pursued with lights and siren still activated as Griffis fled for a total of 1.89 miles, disregarding numerous red lights and driving into oncoming traffic while reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.
The complaint states there were numerous other cars on the road that narrowly avoided being struck by Griffis as he weaved around vehicles.
When Griffis turned southbound on Humboldt Boulevard from Center Street, he drove up on to the front lawn of an apartment building, got out of the vehicle and ran from police. Griffis did not put the vehicle in park before fleeing on foot, so the Audi proceeded to roll into the street.
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One of the officers ran to put the vehicle in park and upon doing so, noted there was a baby in a car seat in the back of the vehicle. No one else was seen fleeing from the vehicle besides Griffis. The baby was not injured.
The other officer pursued Griffis on foot and took him into custody after he stopped running and put his hands up.
The complaint noted that Griffis was already convicted of robbery and stealing a vehicle, and sentenced to prison on Oct. 14, 2015. He was released to extended supervision on Aug. 30, 2022.
27-year-old Anthony Griffis has been charged with two counts of 1st-degree recklessly endangering safety, one count of fleeing/eluding an officer, one count of resisting/obstructing an officer and one count of child neglect, all with a habitual criminality repeater.
Griffis made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Tuesday, April 16. Cash bond was set at $10,000.