K-9 and drone end five-hour cornfield manhunt after 12-mile Fond du Lac chase

Five hours of coordinated pursuit across multiple Fond du Lac County agencies ended on the evening of Aug. 17 when a drone operator and a K-9 team converged on a suspect concealed in a cornfield near Paradise Lane. A 40-year-old Fond du Lac man, already carrying an active Wisconsin Department of Corrections warrant for alleged probation violation and two pending felony cases, was taken into custody without incident at approximately 7:45 p.m., the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office said. The vehicle pursuit that preceded his arrest covered 12.6 miles and began when he refused a stop attempt.

According to the sheriff's office, authorities were notified at 2:26 p.m. that the suspect had fled from the City of Fond du Lac Police Department. A deputy located the vehicle traveling south on Highway 175 near Highway 151 and activated lights and sirens. The driver accelerated. Dash camera footage captured the pursuit across several county roads before a second deputy deployed a tire-deflation device that struck the suspect's tires.

The suspect then exited the still-moving vehicle and ran. A Fond du Lac police officer gave foot chase, but the man entered a nearby cornfield and officers quickly lost sight of him in the dense vegetation. The sheriff's office established a perimeter along County Highway V, Reinhardt Road, County Highway K, and Valley Creek Road.

Technology meets terrain

Drones from both the Fond du Lac Police Department and the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office were deployed. Thick foliage initially blocked aerial detection, and multiple K-9 teams searched simultaneously from the ground. At around 6:30 p.m., sheriff's office personnel spotted the man attempting to leave the field near Reinhardt Road. He retreated. Loudspeaker warnings drew no response, the sheriff's office said.

A K-9 was then sent to his last known location while a drone operator directed an arrest team toward him from above. After an approximately 300-yard track through the cornfield, the man was driven out toward officers waiting near Paradise Lane.

He was transported to a local hospital for medical clearance before being booked into the Fond du Lac County Jail on charges that include multiple counts of fleeing and eluding, second-degree recklessly endangering safety, and felony bail jumping. The sheriff's office said he was on probation for cocaine possession and possession of a firearm by a felon at the time of the pursuit.

His two pending felony cases in Fond du Lac County carry additional weight. One includes possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a felon, maintaining a drug trafficking place, carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The second carries charges of felony bail jumping and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Two Fond du Lac County patrol vehicles were damaged during the chase. A sheriff's deputy and a Fond du Lac police officer each sustained minor injuries. The sheriff's office said no private property was damaged.