By Police1 Staff
ROCK COUNTY, Wis. — Police have released footage of a potentially-deadly New Year’s Eve pursuit where a man threatened police with a knife.
The Gazette Xtra reported that a Beloit officer responded to calls of a man reportedly holding an alcohol bottle, stopping traffic and asking for a phone on New Year’s Eve.
Officers said when they approached Robert Carothers, 23, he got into his truck and fled.
Multiple officers pursued him, reaching speeds up to 80 mph.
According to a complaint, Carothers was “all over the roadway” until he stopped at a light and gestured toward police while drinking from a vodka bottle.
Police said they deployed stop sticks, but Carothers drove straight through them, lost tires and kept fleeing.
Carothers can be seen crossing the dividing line multiple times, swerving last minute to avoid oncoming traffic.
“It almost looks to me like he’s targeting those southbound vehicles,” Cmdr. Troy Knudson said. “That’s what made it such an extreme threat.”
Deputies used a PIT maneuver to cause Carothers’ truck to spin out. The truck became stuck in a snowbank on the side of the road.
Police went to detain Carothers when he put a knife to his throat, resulting in a 20-minute standoff.
Carothers threatened officers and himself multiple times with the knife until officers deployed pepper spray and a K-9, ending the standoff.
Carothers has been charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety, fleeing a traffic officer and obstructing, along with several traffic citations that include second-offense intoxicated driving and driving while revoked.