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Rock County Sheriff Bob Spoden reviews the actions of officers during the chase of a shooting suspect.
JANESVILLE — Sophie Henschler has seen a lot of things in her 94 years, but she never saw anything like what she witnessed Wednesday as she left the Mercy Health System complex on Janesville's west side.
"The cops were coming out of cars like ladybugs coming out of the woodwork," she said. "Everyone was running around with guns."
Henschler of La Prairie Township witnessed the end of one of the most bizarre high-speed chases in memory when she saw police arrest murder suspect Kyle E. Hicke on Wednesday.
The half-hour chase, which reached speeds of 90 mph, went from Janesville to Beloit and back again and involved four law enforcement jurisdictions.
It started at 9:25 a.m., shortly after a shooting at 412 1/2 S. Academy St., Janesville. Deputy Ben Riemer of the Rock County Sheriff's Office saw a pickup truck matching the description of the suspect's vehicle going south on Highway 51 near Highway 11, Sheriff Bob Spoden said.
He followed the vehicle for about three miles, radioing information back to the department as he waited for more units to back him up for a "high-risk" traffic stop.
A town of Beloit squad arrived, and Riemer attempted to pull over the truck. Hicke stepped on the gas, driving south into the city of Beloit with officers in pursuit.
Police try to avoid high-speed pursuits in cities, but it couldn't be helped in this case, Spoden said. Hicke is suspected of shooting his ex-girlfriend, and he still had a gun in the car.
"There really was no question on this issue," he said.
Beloit police laid out stop sticks—spikes designed to puncture tires—in two places, said Capt. Bill Tyler of the Beloit Police Department. In one case, Hicke drove into oncoming traffic to avoid the sticks; in the other, the sticks failed to stop him.
"When he's driving that fast and driving recklessly, it's hard to tell if he drove over them or not," Tyler said.
Hicke drove through downtown Beloit at speeds reaching 50 mph before reversing direction and driving north on Highway 51, eventually making it back to the crime scene.
Along the way, he tossed a gun out the window and purposely sideswiped a Rock County squad car.
When Hicke reached Janesville, sheriff's office and Janesville police officials decided to ram his vehicle.
"In this case, because of the violent crime that was committed, the fact that the suspect would not stop and at times would go into other lanes of traffic, as well as the speeds of the pursuit involved, it was decided that the vehicle had to be brought to a stop," said Capt. Jude Maurer, who monitored the chase for the sheriff's office.
Officers tried to ram the vehicle at Academy and Racine streets and Milwaukee and Jackson streets, Dave Moore, acting Janesville police chief, said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. Two Janesville squads collided at Milwaukee and Jackson in the attempt.
Meanwhile, Hicke drove past the crime scene twice, flipping his middle finger to police, neighbors and media nearby.
Finally, a Janesville squad rammed the truck from the front at Madison Street and Mineral Point Avenue, causing the truck to spin around and hit a Rock County squad behind. No officers were injured.
Hicke was apprehended at gunpoint at 9:49 a.m. He was taken to Mercy Hospital with minor injuries, Moore said.
The fact that Hicke tossed a gun out on his way to Janesville didn't change law enforcement's approach, Spoden said.
"Because one gun was thrown out, it doesn't mean he's unarmed," Spoden said. "You just don't know."
Besides, the suspect still had one huge weapon: his pickup truck, said Commander Troy Knudson of the sheriff's office.
"He really demonstrated just how dangerous he was in his attempt to use a truck to ram our squad car," he said.
The chase might have seemed long, but officials had to take many factors into consideration before ramming the vehicle, Knudson said.
Ramming is considered deadly force, he said. The risks are high, especially when it involves a full-size pickup truck versus a sedan.
"At the initial stage of the chase, one attempts to resolve it using the least force necessary," he said.
Spoden and Moore said they were proud of the job their officers did. Officers stayed calm, communicated clearly and performed their roles correctly, Spoden said.
"I couldn't be prouder of the way the sheriff's deputies conducted themselves," Spoden said. "It really speaks of the professionalism, not only of the sheriff's office, but all the agencies involved."
Chase policies
The Rock County Sheriff's Office and Janesville Police Department have pages of documents listing criteria for high-speed pursuits and associated maneuvers.
The case of Kyle E. Hicke, who led police on a high-speed chase from Beloit Township to the city of Beloit and north again to Janesville, met all the criteria.
Here's a summary of the sheriff's office and Janesville police policies:
Pursuit
Rock County: Deputies shall pursue any subject in a vehicle who they believe has committed or attempted to commit a serious felony or is driving in a manner that could cause death or great bodily harm.
Deputies shall stop the pursuit when they believe the pursuit creates a higher risk of death or great bodily harm than would exist if the suspect was not apprehended.
If deputies believe the subject has committed a less serious felony, traffic crime or misdemeanor, they may pursue the subject unless they know the identity of the suspect or have enough information to identify and apprehend the suspect later.
The act of fleeing an officer in and of itself does not justify a pursuit.
Janesville: High-speed pursuits should be attempted only when the danger created by the possible escape of the suspect outweighs the danger created by the pursuit and no reasonable alternative exists. The seriousness of the crime committed and the continuing threat to the public posed by the suspect are of primary consideration in making this decision.
The department has a matrix taking into account the seriousness of the crime and the risk factors to help officers decide when to pursue.
Ramming
Rock County: Ramming may be used to prevent the escape or flight of a person who, if allowed to escape, poses a significant threat of death or great bodily harm to deputies or the public. It may be used only after all lesser means of apprehension have been eliminated. It may not be used if deputies believe the act of ramming creates a higher risk of death or great bodily harm than not apprehending the suspect.
Janesville: Ramming is considered deadly force. Deadly force may be used in defense of the officer, in defense of another person or to arrest a person suspected of a violent felony if the officer believes the suspect can't be apprehended later.