JUST IN: 2 officers injured in high speed chase that ended in Wausau crash

Two officers were injured Saturday in a high speed chase that began in Kronenwetter, wound through additional south metro communities and ended in a crash adjacent to the Wausau Police Department, Wausau Pilot confirmed on Monday.

Cody Mayotte, 23, was identified as the driver behind the wheel of the fleeing vehicle. A passenger was also inside, officials said.

Mountain Bay Metro Police Chief Jeremy Hunt tells Wausau Pilot the pursuit began at about 8:15 p.m. Aug. 24 in Kronenwetter and was related to a search for a suspect with an outstanding warrant. Marathon County deputies picked up the pursuit, while Mountain Bay Metro officers assisted. Police used multiple methods to end the pursuit including using stop sticks and other maneuvers, but the chase continued.

During the chase, a squad car driven by a Marathon County Sheriff’s deputy and a Mountain Bay Metro squad crashed near the area of Ross Avenue and Cutoff Road. Both officers were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries and were later released, Hunt said. The Wisconsin State Patrol is handling the investigation of that crash.

Witnesses told Wausau Pilot they saw multiple squads at high speeds throughout the metro area as the pursuit continued. Ultimately, Mayotte crashed his vehicle near the Wausau Police Department on Grand Avenue.

According to emergency scanner traffic, rescue crews were held back from the crash scene briefly until the suspects, held at gunpoint, were secured and in custody. There’s no word on injuries involved in the final crash, but reports have not yet been finalized from all departments involved.

Wausau Police Chief Matt Barnes told Wausau Pilot that the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department is the lead agency in the case. Attempts to reach Sheriff Chad Billeb Monday for additional details have not been successful. Mountain Bay officers were not directly involved in the pursuit, but were assisting with stop sticks and other devices in an attempt to stop the driver.

Mayotte is jailed on preliminary charges of second-degree recklessly endangering safety, fleeing an officer, causing injury while operating under the influence and other related crimes. He is being held without bond pending an initial appearance Tuesday in Marathon County Circuit Court.

The name of his passenger has not been publicly released.

A criminal complaint has not yet been filed in the case. This is a developing story that will be updated.

You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The Pilot often relies on reports from police officials in control of a crime, fire or crash scene during a breaking news event. While these initial reports are valuable to readers, they also can be incomplete and even inaccurate. We let readers know what we can and can’t confirm, as well as when and how we received our information. Then we work to aggressively gather a wider range of perspectives and to verify the information through public records, interviews, photos and videos, all of which are verified before publishing. If you have any questions about our breaking news reporting, email us at [email protected].