Full Breakdown
High-Speed Chase and Cornfield Manhunt in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin
8/22/2026, 4:12:39 AM
Core Event and Timeline
On Monday afternoon, deputies attempted to stop a 40-year-old man who had fled from the City of Fond du Lac Police Department. The vehicle accelerated south on Highway 175, prompting a pursuit that covered roughly 12 – 12.6 miles across county roads. A tire-deflation device was deployed, disabling the car, which then rolled across a median before the suspect bailed out while it was still moving. He fled on foot toward a subdivision and entered a dense cornfield, where officers halted the foot chase for safety reasons and established a perimeter. Drones and multiple K-9 teams searched the field; at about 6:30 p.m. the suspect was spotted attempting to exit, ran back in, and after a 300-yard K-9 track was located by a drone operator. Law-enforcement officers pushed him toward an arrest team, taking him into custody at approximately 7:45 p.m. The entire incident lasted more than five hours.
Law-Enforcement Resources Deployed
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office coordinated deputies, the Fond du Lac Police Department, drone operators, and several K-9 units. The sheriff’s office released dash-cam and body-cam footage of the chase and pursuit. Two patrol vehicles sustained damage, and a deputy and a police officer incurred minor injuries; no private property was reported damaged.
Legal Status and Charges
The suspect was on probation for cocaine possession and for possession of a firearm by a felon, and an active Wisconsin Department of Corrections warrant existed for a probation violation. The sheriff’s office indicated two open felony cases in Fond du Lac County: one involving possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a felon, maintaining a drug-trafficking place, carrying a concealed weapon, and drug-paraphernalia; the second involving felony bail jumping and additional drug-paraphernalia charges. After medical clearance, he was booked on counts of fleeing and eluding, second-degree reckless endangering safety, and felony bail jumping.
Outcome and Follow-Up
The suspect was transported to a local hospital for medical clearance before being placed in the Fond du Lac County Jail. Authorities continue to pursue the pending felony cases. The incident highlights the sheriff’s office’s reliance on combined aerial, canine, and ground tactics to resolve high-risk pursuits in rural environments.
