Crime & Safety

Man Swims Into Lake Michigan to Avoid Police

Police say an interaction with the cops leads a 27-year-old man to give a false name, run into the lake and spit at one of the officers.

Police say a 27-year-old West Allis man led two local police officers on a foot chase into Lake Michigan on Labor Day morning.

According to the police report, two officers noticed a man climbing the hill from the beach area into Klode Park around 5 a.m., which is before the park opens. The police believed he was coming from a home north of Klode Park, and trespassing on private property on their walk to the public beach.

When police confronted the man about his business in the park, he told them he was at a party in the area, and he wanted to walk along the beach and meditate.Β 

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Police asked the man for his name, the report says, but he gave them a fake name and birth date. The officers told the man they could not let him go until they could confirm his identity.

When an officer attempted to place him in handcuffs, the man pulled away from the officer and took off running eastward toward the beach area. Police chased after the man and called on him to stop, but the man kept running all the way into Lake Michigan.

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After several minutes of swimming in the lake and hiding behind break water rocks, the man swam back to shore. The officers partially entered the water to handcuff his hands behind his back. As they were walking him to the squad, he turned and spit at one of the police officers, according to the report.Β 

The man was cited for violating park closing hours, resisting arrest and providing false information to police.

While apprehending the man in the water, police noticed five other people trespassing on the beach. All five were identified and cited for trespassing.

The incident occurred on Sept. 3. Patch is reporting on the incident now because the full police report was not released until Tuesday morning.


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