Ashanti Travers Jr.
MILWAUKEE - Prosecutors charged a Milwaukee man in connection with a high-speed pursuit on I-43 that ended with a Milwaukee police squad rolling over, and say he was also involved in a shooting two days earlier.
What we know:
Ashanti Travers Jr., 24, faces multiple felony charges in two separate criminal complaints filed Monday, April 6.
Prosecutors charged Travers with 10 counts related to the Wednesday, April 1 pursuit:
- Two counts of fleeing/eluding an officer causing bodily harm as a repeater
- One count of fleeing/eluding an officer causing property damage as a repeater
- Three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety as a repeater
- One count of possession with intent to deliver THC (more than 1,000 grams) as a repeater
- Two counts of felony bail jumping as a repeater
- One count of obstructing an officer as a repeater
Travers made his initial court appearance on Monday.
The backstory:
According to prosecutors, officers spotted Travers driving a black Nissan Rogue near Teutonia and Congress on April 1. The vehicle was wanted in connection with a March 29 shooting.
Milwaukee shooting Sunday; 1 wounded near 82nd and Brown Deer
A shooting in Milwaukee on Sunday, March 29 left one person wounded.
Officers activated emergency lights and sirens, but Travers accelerated and fled, leading police on a pursuit through Milwaukee streets before entering I-43.
Investigators said Travers drove more than 110 mph, weaving through traffic and forcing other drivers to take evasive action. During the pursuit, a Milwaukee police squad collided with an uninvolved vehicle and rolled over, injuring two officers.
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The pursuit lasted about 13 minutes and covered nearly 12 miles before Travers’ vehicle stopped after officers deployed stop sticks. Prosecutors said Travers then climbed fences and ran on foot before officers arrested him.
During the pursuit, investigators said Travers threw a duffel bag from the vehicle containing about 1,103 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and cash.
Dig deeper:
The vehicle Travers was driving had been linked to a shooting two days earlier near 82nd and Brown Deer Road.
According to the complaint, two masked gunmen approached a man sitting in a parked vehicle and fired multiple shots. The victim was struck in the knee, shattering his kneecap and requiring surgery.
Investigators said surveillance video showed two suspects exiting a black Nissan Rogue before the shooting. Police later determined the vehicle was rented by Travers’ mother and later driven by Travers during the April 1 pursuit.
Officers later searched Travers’ residence and found clothing matching one of the suspects seen in surveillance video. Investigators also linked Travers to shoes worn by a suspect after finding a receipt and surveillance video showing him purchasing the shoes days earlier.
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Court records show Travers is a convicted felon with prior drug convictions in 2021. Prosecutors also said he had open felony cases at the time and was out on bond when the incidents occurred.
What's next:
If convicted, he faces over 90 years in prison and more than $200,000 in fines. Because prosecutors also charged Travers as a habitual criminal repeater, the maximum penalty could be increased, if convicted.
Milwaukee police chase; squad rolls over, 2 officers hurt, suspect arrested
Milwaukee police say two police officers were hurt during a police chase when their squad rolled over on Wednesday evening, April 1.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.