Death Investigation
Posted on 05/21/2025
Date: May 21, 2025
Case: Man Found Deceased After Attempted Traffic Stop
Authority: Lieutenant of Detectives Tim Kemps
The search for a 62-year-old Town of Trenton man who was wanted after missing a court date relating to multiple felony charges on Tuesday in Washington County Circuit Court, ended early Wednesday morning and a death investigation is underway in the Town of Barton.
Washington County Deputies, along with other local law enforcement agencies, had been looking for the man after he failed to appear for his status hearing Tuesday morning for an upcoming jury trial in Washington County Circuit Court. A felony arrest warrant was issued by the judge, and the man’s attorney expressed concern for his client’s welfare. Authorities had reason to believe that the man might be armed. The suspect was located just before midnight, driving recklessly in the Town of Kewaskum, by a Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy who attempted to make a traffic stop. The man failed to stop for several miles and eventually pulled over near the intersection of Newark Drive and Kettle Moraine Road in the Town of Barton. Deputies attempted to take the man into custody while conducting a high-risk stop. After multiple attempts to have the man exit his vehicle without success, they approached the car and found the man deceased. A firearm was located inside the vehicle. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The East Central Wisconsin Sheriff’s Investigative Team was called in to investigate the incident in the interest of transparency. This team is a newly formed multijurisdictional investigative team that was formed to ensure public trust by conducting accurate, objective, transparent, timely, and professional multijurisdictional investigations of major incidents, primarily officer-involved critical incidents. The team members are from the Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices. The Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office is the lead agency for this investigation, along with the Washington County Medical Examiner’s Office. The Washington County Sheriff's Office would like to extend our appreciation to all our public safety partners who assisted, including the investigative team, Wisconsin State Patrol, West Bend Police Department and the West Bend Fire Department.
No further information will be released at this time.