MARINETTE COUNTY, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Justice has released video footage showing a pursuit and officer-involved shooting of a homicide suspect, WBAY reported.
Dash camera footage released on Oct. 3 shows Marinette Police Department officers pursuing a white vehicle on Aug. 29 as it sped away through traffic, reportedly reaching speeds up to 105mph. The vehicle was linked to a homicide in another county, according to the report.
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The suspect vehicle can be seen “threading the needle” between two vehicles, nearly running some off the road.
The vehicle pursuit ended when other officers laid down spike strips. The suspect swerved and avoided the strips, but lost control of the vehicle.
The car careened into the median before rolling over and coming to a stop upright.
After the crash, officers ordered the suspect to exit the vehicle while approaching the driver’s side door. The man appeared to flip the officers off through the window, body camera footage shows.
One officer opened the door, instructing the man to show his hands. After failing to comply with numerous instructions, the man eventually climbed out of the passenger door of the car holding a knife.
Officers gave repeated commands to drop the weapon. At one point, the suspect referenced “Area 51” and said, “You were supposed to execute me.”
A Marinette County deputy arrived with a TASER to assist, but the suspect ignored commands, then suddenly ran toward one of the officers with the knife in hand.
In response, the officers opened fire, fatally striking the suspect.
The video footage in the case was released alongside the results of an investigation which found that the officers were justified in the shooting.
In a statement to the Wisconsin DOJ, District Attorney DeShea Morrow wrote that the officers involved “responded with professionalism and in accordance with their training.”
