PIERCE FOLKERTS

FLORENCE, Wis. — A Green Bay, Wis., man arrested after a high-speed chase that ended with a crash near Burma Road pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Florence County Circuit Court.

Pierce Folkerts, 31, is charged with fleeing and eluding an officer resulting in bodily harm and concealing stolen property, both felonies punishable by up to six years in prison.

Folkerts also is charged with reckless driving causing injury, a misdemeanor with a one-year penalty; and obstructing an officer, a nine-month misdemeanor.

According to the criminal complaint, Florence County deputies were alerted Sept. 8 to an attempt to locate a stolen vehicle by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.

Brown County dispatch advised Florence deputies Folkerts was in the vehicle and had been involved in four vehicle thefts and three pursuits the previous week, the complaint states. Dispatch also advised Folkerts had been traveling with a female passenger who had a relative in Homestead, Wis.

The relative called authorities to report the stolen vehicle on their property. They believed the occupants were sleeping but later stated they saw movement, the complaint stated.

Florence County deputies located and approached the vehicle with weapons and electronic control devices drawn, though body cameras were not activated, according to the complaint.

The deputies reportedly announced their presence and knocked on the rear driver’s side window of the vehicle when they observed Folkerts and the female passenger in the backseat.

Folkerts ignored instructions to show his hands and moved into the front seat of the vehicle, according to the complaint. Folkerts then started the vehicle and maneuvered around the deputy squad car.

An earlier release from Florence County Sheriff Dan Miller stated deputies pursued Folkerts for about 5 miles until he hit a tire deflation device. The vehicle went off the road and into a stand of trees near the intersection of Burma and Sand Lake roads, according to the complaint.

Folkerts fled on foot and was later caught with assistance of a K-9 unit from the Green Bay Police Department. He and the female passenger in the vehicle were transported to a hospital for treatment.

A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Nov. 19. Bond is set at $10,000 cash.