Background: Police body camera footage shows the suspect in the theft of an ambulance emerging from the vehicle (Wisconsin Rapids Police Department/WISN/YouTube). Inset: Benjamin Feltz (Wood County Jail).
In central Wisconsin, a man has been accused of stealing an ambulance with a patient inside, subsequently engaging police in a perilous pursuit.
Benjamin Feltz, aged 37, now faces charges including first-degree reckless endangerment, making threats against individuals involved in the legal system, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and fleeing police. All these charges are felonies, as per Wood County court records accessed by Law&Crime. In addition, Feltz is confronted with six misdemeanor charges.
According to a criminal complaint reviewed by Milwaukee’s ABC affiliate WISN, Wisconsin Rapids paramedics were in the process of transporting a patient when a man unexpectedly commandeered the ambulance and drove away. Despite shouts of “What are you doing?” and commands to “Get out!” and “Stop,” the man continued his course.
The patient inside expressed her terror, reportedly shouting at the driver, “I’m dying from kidney disease,” as she feared for her life.
Body camera footage shared by the Wisconsin Rapids Police Department and the regional outlet shows the ambulance swerving around spikes meant to deflate its tires, driving through a landfill, and onto a highway. Officers can also be seen sharing details with one another, such as “Dude is naked. And it looks like he has brown long hair and a beard.”
Authorities detailed that the chase ended when the ambulance veered off the highway and became immobilized in a field. Officers then approached and ordered the suspect, identified as Feltz, to turn off the engine and surrender. He eventually complied, allowing authorities to attend to the patient.
After being taken to a local hospital, the patient received necessary care, while Feltz was taken into custody. However, reports suggest his aggressive conduct persisted even after his arrest.
“It’s time for you to feel my pain,” he told an officer, according to the complaint, as well as “Yes, I’m threatening you,” and “It’s your turn to die.”
He told police he drank roughly half a bottle of chemical cleaner that day and that there may have been “pot” in his system, WISN reported.
Feltz had an initial appearance in court scheduled for Friday afternoon.
