A Milwaukee man and woman are charged after high-speed police pursuit in U-Haul truck

Adrienne Davis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·4 min read

A Milwaukee man and woman are charged after authorities say they led West Allis police on a pursuit using a U-Haul truck.

Eric Jackson, 54, is charged with retail theft and bail jumping, both felonies, according to Milwaukee court documents, while Jennifer McGwire, 48, is charged with retail theft, second-degree reckless endangerment and fleeing an officer, also all felonies.

Jackson was released on a $5,000 cash bond, while McGwire was released on a $3,500 cash bond. Both were ordered to not have contact with one another or the Home Depot store, located at 11071 W. National Ave. in West Allis.

West Allis officers were initially dispatched to Home Depot for reports of a retail theft in process

According to the criminal complaint:

On Sunday, May 5, at 3:39 p.m., officers responded to the Home Depot for a report of a retail theft. An officer arrived on scene and was advised that the two suspects left and were last seen traveling east on West National in a U-Haul truck with Arizona plates.

A officer saw the truck near West National Avenue and South 108th Street and turned on his squad car's sirens. The truck did not stop and continued traveling east on National Avenue and a police pursuit ensued.

The chase spanned 19 miles over 17 minutes, and reached a maximum speed of 86 miles per hour.

Authorities say the pursuit involving McGwire:

  • Drifting and losing control while getting onto Interstate 41 at the West National Avenue on-ramp;

  • Accelerating at a high rate of speed and traveling over 70 mph while recklessly changing lanes without signaling on I-41;

  • Cutting off several vehicles on I-41 when the vehicle cut across multiple lanes and over a solid white line to exit the freeway at the last moment at the West Fond du Lac Avenue exit;

  • Recklessly weaving in and out of traffic while on Highway 175, causing one vehicle to pull over to get out of its way;

  • Cutting across all lanes of traffic to exit to go west on I-94;

  • Cutting across all lanes of traffic and recklessly weaving in and out of traffic while on I-94;

  • Nearly crashing into the guardrail along the South 84th Street exit ramp after making an abrupt movement to get back to the freeway from the off-ramp, traveling across solid white lines in the process;

  • Once back on I-94, causing a vehicle to pull over after speeding up behind it;

  • While on I-41 north, cutting across all lanes of traffic to take the West Burleigh Street exit;

  • While traveling at a high rate of speed on West Burleigh Street, running red lights at North 114th Street and North 112th Street, and recklessly weaving in and out of traffic, appearing as though it was trying to pass traffic on the right and causing vehicles to move out of the way at one point.

The pursuit came to end after the truck ran over a stop stick in two different locations. The truck then slowed down before crashing into a police squad car going about 5 to 10 miles per hour. McGwire and Jackson, who was the passenger, were then ordered out of the truck and taken into custody.

Officers found drugs in McGwire's purse and other drug paraphernalia between the driver and front passenger seats.

McGwire and Jackson stole $636 of merchandise from Home Depot

A Home Depot loss officer said he and a coworker were discussing a weekend theft in which a man and woman stole merchandise and fled in a U-Haul truck, when he observed the same U-Haul pull into the parking lot. He said he saw McGwire and Jackson exit the truck and enter the store.

The two then pushed a shopping cart to the lumber department where they both selected two boxes of trim coils and then left the store without paying for the merchandise. McGwire was seen getting into the driver's seat and Jackson got into the passenger seat.

The value of merchandise taken from the store was $636.

If convicted of all charges, McGwire faces up to 22 years in prison and a fine up to $35,000. Jackson is facing up to 12 years in prison and a fine up to $20,000.

Both are due back in court on May 17.

Contact Adrienne Davis at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee pair charged after theft, police chase using U-Haul truck