A police chase in Glendale, Wisconsin, on November 15 culminated in a bizarre ending after a suspect attempted to escape from officers by hiding in a porta potty.
The carjacking suspect was ultimately discovered and detained by officers thanks to the efforts of two good Samaritans.
According to police, the pursuit commenced just before noon on Port Washington Road when Glendale police officers attempted to stop the driver of a stolen white Dodge Durango.
The chaos that ensued was captured on body cameras and dash cameras obtained by TMJ4.
The suspect behind the wheel of the stolen vehicle managed to evade several attempts by police to apprehend him.
At one point, the Durango swerved to avoid stop sticks, colliding with two cars before darting into oncoming traffic on the I-43.
The vehicle ultimately crashed into the highway’s barrier, prompting all four occupants to flee.
While one suspect was promptly detained, the remaining three led officers on a foot chase through a park and onto the Lincoln Park Golf Course.
Dash camera footage revealed squad cars speeding across the manicured greens as officers pursued the suspects.
The pursuit took an unexpected turn when golfers at the course became unwitting witnesses to the unfolding events.
Two neighbors and good Samaritans, Ilissa Boland and Adam Westermayer, had just begun a round of golf when they heard the initial crash on Port Washington Road. Moments later, they spotted two suspects running past them.
One of the suspects made a bold move, attempting to hide in a nearby porta potty.
Boland, a realtor in the area, recalled the surreal moment.
“We’re looking at each other like, ‘Are you serious? That’s where he’s gonna hide?’”
Undeterred by the unusual choice of hiding spot, Westermayer took matters into his own hands.
“When we realized they were being chased and that kid was in the porta potty, we tried to tell the police officer,” Westermayer stated. “He went off to chase the other one and I just made a rash decision to go push the porta potty down.”
Approaching the porta potty, Westermayer said he found the door locked and promptly tipped the structure over, trapping the suspect inside.
With the door now facing the ground, the suspect’s attempt to conceal himself was thwarted.
As police officers converged on the scene, they rolled the portable toilet back upright, allowing the apprehended suspect to crawl out. The suspect was then taken into custody and transported back to the station.
Glendale Police Captain Tom Treder provided insight into the initial moments of the pursuit, stating that an officer first spotted the stolen SUV on North Port Washington Road. The subsequent attempt to stop the vehicle led to a series of collisions and the suspects’ dramatic flight.
According to police, all occupants involved in the crash were later transported to the hospital with minimal injuries. Authorities are still actively searching for the other two suspects who managed to evade capture during the incident.
The stolen Dodge Durango was reported to have originated from Plymouth, Minnesota.
Glendale is a city located in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.