Man Tried to Take Cop's Gun After Freeway Crash, Complaint Says

A 27-year-old Whitefish Bay man is accused of grabbing the wheel of his father’s vehicle while his father was driving him to an emergency psychological evaluation at Rogers Memorial Hospital, crashing the car on Interstate 94 in Brookfield, according to a criminal complaint.

The Whitefish Bay man was charged Wednesday in Waukesha County Circuit Court with second-degree recklessly endangering safety, attempting to disarm a peace officer and resisting an officer. If convicted, he faces nearly nine years in prison and $45,000 in fines.

According to the complaint:

After crashing the vehicle into a guard rail near Calhoun Road, the man ran back and forth in freeway traffic for a short time at 4:20 a.m. March 22. Authorities transported the man to Rogers Memorial Hospital.

When authorities arrived at the Oconomowoc mental health hospital, they learned there was no room at the hospital. A Waukesha County deputy was trying to make other arrangements when the man grabbed for the deputy's gun.

Deputies transported the man to Waukesha Memorial Hospital where he was resistive and tried to escape. Deputies tasered him five times at the hospital to keep him from resisting officers.

The man was released from jail on a signature bond and is ordered to comply with mental commitment orders.