Chase spans 28 miles, gets up to 110 mph

The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·1 min read

Aug. 4—ALMA — A high-speed chase on Tuesday afternoon spanned 28 miles and portions of two counties in west central Wisconsin.

At about 3:08 p.m., Frederick J. Clements, 23, of Mindoro fled a traffic stop while driving a 1993 Chevrolet S-10 on Highway 35, according to a Pepin County Sheriff's Office news release.

The pursuit began between Stockholm and Pepin in Pepin County, but ended south of Alma in Buffalo County.

With speeds of the pursuit reaching up to 110 mph, law enforcement officers suspended the chase when it was about to enter communities along Highway 35, according to the news release. Officers would then resume their pursuit when they spotted the fleeing vehicle again on the highway outside of populated areas.

Tire inflation devices were deployed twice during the pursuit, according to the news release. In the first attempt to stop the truck, Clements swerved to avoid the device by temporarily going into a ditch and continuing to drive away. The second device worked though, deflating three of the pickup's tires. It still traveled about two more miles though before being boxed in by patrol vehicles, ending the chase south of Alma.

Clements was then taken into custody without further incident and booked into Buffalo County Jail. On Wednesday, the Buffalo County District Attorney's Office filed felony charges of second-degree recklessly endangering safety and fleeing an officer against Clements. Charges against him are also expected in Pepin County, according to the sheriff's office news release.

Sheriff's deputies from Pepin, Buffalo and Trempealeau counties were involved in the pursuit, as well as police officers from Alma, Wabasha and Pepin.