Milwaukee County 18-mile police chase; driver charged

MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man is accused of leading police on a 18-mile chase last month while driving at speeds of up to 125 mph.

Prosecutors have charged Judge Pearson, 19, with fleeing/eluding police and recklessly endangering safety. He pleaded not guilty to both charges on Friday.

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Police chase

The chase began on October 20, near 28th and Townsend. At approximately 8:20 PM that evening, a criminal complaint states a Milwaukee A police officer was conducting surveillance at a nearby gas station when he saw a man driving a black Mazda 3 to a pump.

Two other officers who were in the area spotted the same black Mazda 3 with the same Wisconsin license plates, and noticed the vehicle had excessive window tint, according to the complaint. The officers pulled up behind the vehicle and turned on their lights and sirens to conduct a traffic stop.

Court records show the driver of the Mazda initially slowed down, but then accelerated away from police.

Officers chased the driver for more than 20 miles as the driver reached speeds of 75 miles per hour in residential areas and 120 miles per hour on the highway. The driver also went through multiple stop signs and traffic lights. Officers eventually ended the pursuit on the highway near Brown Deer Road as traffic was heavier and lanes were narrowing due to construction.

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Search for suspect

Police reviewed surveillance footage from the gas station and saw the driver get into the driver’s seat of the Mazda before fleeing, the complaint said. Police discovered the vehicle was registered to Pearson.

By looking at a previous booking photo of Pearson, the complaint states that police determined that Pearson was the same person who saw the officer in person and on surveillance video getting into the driver’s seat of the Mazda before the pursuit.

Officers then went to Pearson’s address and saw the black Mazda 3 with the same Wisconsin license plates parked behind the home, according to prosecutors.

Officers attempted to make contact with people in the home, but were not successful until Pearson’s father arrived, according to the complaint. Eventually, Pearson’s father called him, after which he left the home and was taken into custody.