A Milwaukee man has been sentenced to five years in prison after stealing laptops from a Brookfield store and leading police on a pursuit in which several vehicles were rammed and an officer was injured.
Elenzo Harvester, 31, was also given five years of extended supervision by Waukesha County Judge David Maas. He pleaded no contest to retail theft, fleeing police and hit-and-run charges, while five other felony counts were dismissed in September.
Brookfield police chase followed laptop theft
The incident began on February 6 when police were called to a business on Bluemound Road, near Janacek Road, after four laptops worth more than $3,000 were reported stolen.
Officers later located a white Chevrolet SUV in a nearby shopping-centre car park. The vehicle reversed into a police car before its driver was detained, according to the criminal complaint.
Harvester, who had been inside the SUV, then took control of it and reversed into the squad car before driving forward into a pick-up truck and numerous parked vehicles. A member of the public was injured while trying to avoid being struck.
The Town of Brookfield Police Department said the injured civilian was treated and released at the scene. An officer was also treated and released from hospital after being hurt during the pursuit.
The chase continued through Brookfield, along Main Street and Bluemound Road, and on to Moorland Road, where prosecutors said Harvester briefly drove into oncoming traffic.
Police attempted a tactical vehicle intervention, known as a PIT manoeuvre, near Carpenter Road. During a second attempt, prosecutors alleged Harvester deliberately steered towards the police vehicle, forcing the officer off the road and into a tree.
A different officer continued the pursuit as the SUV joined eastbound Interstate 94. Despite losing its front tyres, the vehicle travelled into Milwaukee County, where police made five further unsuccessful attempts to stop it.
The pursuit ended near Highway 100 after a successful manoeuvre stopped the SUV on an exit ramp. Harvester escaped on foot, jumping over a concrete barrier and falling several feet before running from the scene.
West Allis officers later found him hiding in the back of a tree-service truck beneath a load of woodchips. Police said no weapons or contraband were found, and the stolen laptops were subsequently recovered.
Harvester was taken to hospital after his arrest. Court filings said he declined to give a statement and was generally uncooperative with investigators.
