Waukesha Man Charged After Officer Injured During Arrest

A 28-year-old Waukesha man is facing charges after a Waukesha Police Department officer was injured while chasing him on foot.

Dustin M. Wenzel was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Wednesday with one count of obstructing an officer and causing substantial bodily harm, one count of possession of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia and one count of carrying a concealed weapon for allegedly trying to flee the officer after a Feb. 25 traffic stop. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison and $21,500 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint, at 1:23 a.m., Feb. 25, Wenzel was pulled over in the 500 block of Wisconsin Avenue in Waukesha after an officer on patrol in a squad car noticed Wenzel’s vehicle had a burnt out brake light and was listed to a person with a suspended driving status.

According to the complaint, after the officer asked him about his driving status, Wenzel began talking loudly and asked why he was being interrogated. He then told officers his girlfriend had been driving the vehicle and she had gone into a nearby building.

According to the complaint, Wenzel told the officer he was tired and had a lot of homework to do and was not afraid to leave the scene. He then fled on foot and the officer who eventually caught him suffered a tear in his right shoulder while tackling Wenzel to the ground, according to the complaint.

Officers also found a glass pipe and marijuana on Wenzel, and a nine-inch knife in a leather sheath in his car, according to the complaint.

Wenzel is scheduled to make his initial appearance in court April 6.