A wanted Wisconsin man triggered a dramatic law enforcement response after authorities say he led deputies on a 12-mile high-speed chase, jumped from a moving vehicle and disappeared into a cornfield, prompting a five-hour search that ended with help from a K9 team and a drone.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office said the pursuit began at 2:26 p.m. on Aug. 17, after deputies were alerted that the 40-year-old suspect had fled officers with the City of Fond du Lac Police Department.
A deputy later located the vehicle heading south on Highway 175 near Highway 151 and tried to initiate a traffic stop with emergency lights and sirens, according to the sheriff’s office. Instead of pulling over, the driver sped away.
Dash camera footage shows the chase stretching across multiple county roads before another deputy deployed a tire-deflation device, successfully striking the suspect vehicle’s tires, authorities said.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office released video showing a high-speed pursuit, cornfield search and arrest of a wanted 40-year-old man on Aug. 17, 2026 (The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office)
In the video released by the sheriff’s office, the suspect can be seen leaping from the vehicle and running toward a nearby subdivision. A Fond du Lac police officer follows on foot before the man appears to enter a cornfield.
Once inside the field, officers quickly lost sight of the suspect because of the thick corn and limited visibility, officials said.
Citing safety concerns, officers called off the immediate foot chase and set up a perimeter around County Highway V, Reinhardt Road, County Highway K and Valley Creek Road.
A wanted Wisconsin man fled deputies at high speed, abandoned his rolling car in the middle of a highway and disappeared into a cornfield, triggering an hours long manhunt. (The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office)
Drones operated by the Fond du Lac Police Department and Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office were deployed but initially could not locate the man because of the thick foliage. Multiple K-9 teams also searched the area.
At about 6:30 p.m., sheriff’s office personnel spotted the man attempting to leave the cornfield near Reinhardt Road, authorities said. He ran back into the field when officers approached.
Authorities made multiple announcements over a loudspeaker but received no response, according to the sheriff’s office.
A K-9 was then deployed near the man’s last known location, while a drone operator located him from above and directed an arrest team toward him.
The man continued running from officers and the K-9, authorities said. After an approximately 300-yard track through the cornfield, he was driven out of the field toward officers waiting near Paradise Lane.
A 12-mile police chase ended with a wanted Wisconsin man jumping from a moving car and fleeing into a cornfield, where he evaded officers for more than five hours. (The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office)
He was taken into custody without incident at about 7:45 p.m. and turned over to Fond du Lac police. The vehicle pursuit covered about 12.6 miles, and the entire incident lasted more than five hours.
The 40-year-old Fond du Lac man was taken to a local hospital for medical clearance before being booked into the Fond du Lac County Jail on multiple counts of fleeing and eluding, second-degree recklessly endangering safety and felony bail jumping, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said the man was on probation for cocaine possession and possession of a firearm by a felon and had an active Wisconsin Department of Corrections warrant for an alleged probation violation.
He also has two pending felony cases in Fond du Lac County, according to the sheriff’s office. One includes charges of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a felon, maintaining a drug trafficking place, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia. The second includes charges of felony bail jumping and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Two Fond du Lac County patrol vehicles were damaged during the pursuit. A sheriff’s deputy and a Fond du Lac police officer suffered minor injuries. Authorities said no private property was damaged. News Outlet has reached out to the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office for additional details.
