Shots fired at Hodag Park lead to high-speed chase

Four suspects were apprehended Friday, May 22 following a shooting incident near Rhinelander's Hodag Park and subsequent high-speed chase, the Rhinelander Police Department said.

Authorities stated they were dispatched at 1:48 p.m. to Hodag Park after receiving a report of males shooting a firearm out over Boom Lake. The suspects drove away in a red Chevy Cruise and a chase began, but was called off when it entered the downtown district, for the sake of community safety.

The pursuit resumed when officers located the suspects’ vehicle near State Highway 17 and County P, but it re-entered the city on Lincoln Street, so it again was halted to keep the public safe. The suspect vehicle made several evasive turns, but were not able to lose the officers.

The pursuit eventually picked back up once the vehicle headed east on Lincoln Street and out of town on County P. 

Authorities said shots were fired from the suspect vehicle toward pursuing officers. The vehicle then turned east to head down U.S. Highway 8 at a high rate of speed. It then slowed down, which allowed the officers to perform successful PIT maneuver near Beaver Creek Road on Highway 8. Officers subsequently took four suspects into custody without incident.

The release further says that all parties involved are identified and in custody, and that there is no ongoing threat to the community related to this incident. Police did not provide the names of the subjects who were apprehended. 

The incident remains under investigation by the Rhinelander Police Department, with the assistance of the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin State Patrol.