Person suspected in theft at Fleet Farm dies in traffic crash while fleeing Grand Chute police
GRAND CHUTE – A suspect fleeing Grand Chute police after reportedly stealing merchandise from Fleet Farm crashed a vehicle and died at the scene Wednesday, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.
Around 2:10 p.m., the Grand Chute Police Department responded to a call at Fleet Farm, 3035 W. Wisconsin Ave., for a report of retail theft, the DCI said.
When officers arrived, the suspect fled in a vehicle, exited the parking lot and drove at "a high rate of speed" along West Wisconsin Avenue, the DCI said.
The suspect lost control of the vehicle, struck another vehicle and crashed into a tree. Despite lifesaving measures being attempted, the subject died at the scene.
Two people who were in the struck vehicle were taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.
No law enforcement officers were injured in the incident.
The involved officer has been placed on administrative leave, per agency policy.
Under state law, when a person dies during a law enforcement investigation, an outside agency comes in to investigate, Grand Chute Police Community Resource Officer Dylan Davis said.
The DCI is investigating the death with assistance from the Wisconsin State Patrol, a DCI Crime Response Specialist, and members of DCI’s Digital Evidence Unit.
Kelli Arseneau can be reached at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Person fleeing Grand Chute police dies in crash near Fleet Farm
