36-year-old suspect believed he was meeting teenage girl
By Bert Lehman
A 36-year-old man from Lena led police on a high speed chase through downtown Clintonville Wednesday morning.
According to a press release received from the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office, Jason Pfeiffer had arranged to meet an undercover officer that he believed was a teenage girl near the city of Shawano.
As deputies attempted to take Pfeiffer into custod,y he fled the scene in his vehicle. Authorities say the pursuit reached speeds exceeding 100 mph, through Shawano County, into Waupaca County and back into Shawano County.
The chase ended when detectives persuaded Pfeiffer, via phone contact, to pull over, the press release stated.
Clintonville Police Chief Terry Lorge said his department became involved after being notified by the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office that the chase was heading toward Clintonville.
“We set up on the north side of the city to try and prevent the chase from coming through the populated part of town,” Lorge told the Clintonville Tribune-Gazette. “We set up stop sticks on Highway 22 north of Autumn Street by the city limits.”
Lorge said Clintonville Police Captain James Beggs joined the chase north of Clintonville, assisting law enforcement from Shawano County. Officicers persuaded Pfeiffer to pull over, which he did.
“After he stopped, they called in that they had him stopped,” Lorge said. “We pulled up the stop sticks and then the guy took off again.”
Lorge added that he and another officer had partially blocked Highway 22, but Pfeiffer drove around them, onto a couple of lawns on North Main Street on the west side of Clintonville. Lorge said Pfeiffer entered the city between 60-80 mph.
“He continued south into the city,” Lorge said. “Officers backed off and slowed down just to keep the vehicle in sight because he was going into the populated part of downtown at a very high rate of speed. Then he turned north on Highway 45 and headed toward Marion.”
The Clintonville Police Department continued to assist once Pfeiffer was on Highway 45, but Waupaca County took the lead, Lorge said. The chase ended just north of Marion.
The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office press release stated Pfeiffer is currently in custody on charges alleging use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime and knowingly fleeing an officer. The case remains under investigation and more charges may be considered after further review.
Lorge said the Clintonville Police Department will probably file charges for traffic violations that occurred in the city of Clintonville. Lorge also said Pfeiffer tried to strike Beggs.