Milwaukee police chase, crash on south side; 24-year-old man charged
MILWAUKEE - A 24-year-old Milwaukee man is now charged in connection with a police chase and crash involving a Milwaukee Police Department squad on the city's south side. The accused is Anwar Maxwell – and he faces the following criminal counts:
- Vehicle operator flee/elude officer resulting in great bodily harm (two counts)
- First-degree reckless injury (two counts)
- Vehicle operator flee/elude officer resulting in bodily harm
- First-degree recklessly endangering safety
- Hit-and-run - great bodily harm (two counts)
- Possession of a firearm by a felon
- Possession with intent to deliver controll substance (cocaine)
- Possession with intent to deliver controlled substance (heroin)
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police officers spotted on Tuesday evening, Feb. 27 a car traveling at a "high rate of speed and swerving from left to right in a reckless manner past their squad car before making an abrupt turn to go eastbound on W. Greenfield Avenue," the complaint says. Officers activated their lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop. The complaint says as officers closed the distance with the car, the driver "did not stop and instead increased (the car's) speed to double the posted speed limit and continued driving recklessly." Prosecutors say the driver was going in excess of 60 miles an hour through a red traffic signal when it collided with a minivan in the intersection. The car "then careened a Milwaukee Police Explorer that was transporting a subject to the jail. The Infiniti then also struck another vehicle before coming to a rest," the complaint says. Three people, including two officers, were taken to the hospital.
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Anwar Maxwell
The driver of the car jumped out of the driver's window and fled on foot. A police officer pursued the driver, who was later identified as the defendant. He was taken into custody on S. Pearl Street just south of Mitchell.
Officers conducted a search of the Infiniti and "located a black Glock 17 semi-automatic handgun and a black backpack on the front passenger side floor board. The backpack contained a large clear plastic bag containing four smaller clear plastic bags," the complaint says. Inside those bags was an "off-white powder like substance suspected to be heroin," the complaint. Officers also found what they suspected to be crack cocaine and psilocybin.
Maxwell made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Sunday, March 3. Cash bond was set at $100,000.