LA CROSSE, Wisc. (KTTC) – The La Crescent Police Department says one person is in custody following a police pursuit which began in Hokah, and ended in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Police say officers were called to assist the Houston County Sheriff’s Office around 3 a.m. on Saturday, due to reported physical domestic violence and a motor vehicle theft.
Once a La Crescent police officer responded to the call, they reportedly found the suspect vehicle in Hokah, before the driver allegedly sped away “at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.”
Authorities added the pursuit would then continue into Wisconsin and ended below the Cass Street Bridge in La Crosse, when the driver abandoned the vehicle, and ran away. The officer chased the suspect, before the suspect allegedly attempted to escape by jumping into the Mississippi River.
Police say the suspect climbed onto an anchored barge, leading to a standoff with police. The suspect reportedly refused to surrender to the officers on scene and was able to climb a ladder onto the top of “a tall industrial structure.” The suspect then allegedly threatened to jump if officers approached.
Several hours of negotiation would follow before the suspect was eventually apprehended. They were taken to the hospital for medical evaluation before being booked into the La Crosse County Jail, awaiting extradition to Minnesota.
Police say the suspect is facing “numerous serious felony charges.”
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