What began as an investigation into an alleged retail theft at a Wisconsin sporting-goods store quickly became a dangerous pursuit through traffic, followed by a frantic foot chase through a residential neighborhood. By the time it was over, one woman was in handcuffs, a police K9 had located her hiding behind a garbage can, and investigators were left piecing together what had happened inside the fleeing vehicle.
The incident unfolded in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, in October 2023, after police received information about an alleged theft at a Dick’s Sporting Goods store on West Burleigh Avenue. Authorities later identified the driver as Dereonna Anderson, who was accused of being involved in the retail theft.
Dashcam footage shows an officer catching up with the suspect vehicle and attempting to make a traffic stop. Instead of immediately pulling over, the driver continued along the interstate, prompting the officer to notify dispatch that the vehicle was refusing to stop.
For several tense moments, officers followed as the car traveled at increasing speeds. Eventually, the vehicle pulled toward the side of the road, stopping behind another disabled vehicle. It appeared that the situation might finally be coming to an end.
But officers were not taking that chance.
Because the driver remained behind the wheel with the vehicle apparently still capable of moving, additional officers were requested. Police also prepared Stop Sticks, a tire-deflation device designed to reduce the risk of a prolonged pursuit.
An officer approached the vehicle and repeatedly ordered the occupants to roll down their windows. There was no cooperation. Officers could see that the driver’s foot remained on the brake, but they also understood that the vehicle could suddenly accelerate.
Then the front wheels moved.
The driver reversed and accelerated away.
The pursuit immediately resumed.
According to the footage, the fleeing vehicle reached speeds approaching 90 mph and traveled through intersections, including running a red light. Officers reported that the suspects were weaving through traffic, creating an increasingly dangerous situation for everyone nearby. Stop Sticks were eventually deployed, apparently damaging one of the vehicle’s tires.
Then came the moment that changed everything.
The vehicle began smoking and appeared to be losing a tire. As the car continued moving, several occupants suddenly abandoned it and ran in different directions.
Police radio traffic captured the urgency of the moment: three occupants had fled, turning the vehicle pursuit into a foot pursuit.
One person remained behind and was taken into custody, while others disappeared into the surrounding area. Officers spread out through the neighborhood, communicating across different channels as they searched for the people who had escaped.
A police K9 eventually provided the breakthrough.
The dog showed interest near a garbage container, alerting officers that someone could be hiding nearby. When officers approached, they discovered a woman concealed behind the garbage can.
“Show me your hands,” an officer repeatedly ordered.
The woman, later identified as Anderson, eventually complied. Officers placed her in handcuffs and checked her for injuries, including whether she had been bitten by the police dog. She asked for water and did not immediately provide her name.
The arrest itself was relatively quiet compared with the chaotic minutes that had come before it. Yet legally, the consequences of the earlier decisions could be far more serious than simply being accused of taking merchandise.
According to reporting on the case, Anderson faced charges including retail theft and eluding an officer. Police also reported finding men’s clothing with tags still attached inside the vehicle she had been driving.
Wisconsin law treats fleeing from police as a separate legal issue from the underlying suspected theft. That distinction matters because prosecutors generally must establish the elements of each alleged offense independently. Evidence surrounding the retail theft may include store surveillance, witness statements, recovered merchandise and other circumstances, while an eluding allegation can focus on whether a driver knowingly failed to stop after an officer signaled for the vehicle to stop.
There is another important distinction: an arrest or criminal charge is not a finding of guilt. The footage can show what officers observed and how the encounter unfolded, but questions of criminal responsibility ultimately belong to the court.
Anderson made her initial court appearance on October 8, according to FOX6, with cash bond set at $1,500.
What makes the footage so striking is how quickly the situation escalated. A suspected shoplifting investigation became a high-speed pursuit, then a crash and foot chase, before ending with a K9 locating a woman who had tried to disappear into the neighborhood.
For the officers, the final moment was not about speed anymore. It was about patience, coordination and a trained police dog noticing something human eyes had missed.
Sometimes, the most dramatic ending to a chase is not when the car stops.
It is when there is nowhere left to run.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.