Hide Transcript Show Transcript

WEBVTT IN THE CAR. PATRICK: CAROLINE REINWALD ASKED POLICE. SHE JOINS US LIVE AT THE SCENE OF THE CRASH. >> UNDER THE CURRENT POLICY , OFFICERS CAN CHASE VEHICLES THAT ARE LINKED TO VIOLENT CRIMES, DRUG DEALING OR RECKLESS DRIVIN TWO OF WHICH POLICE SAY APPLY TO THIS SITUATION. THE CHASE ONLY LASTED ONE MINUTE AND 49 SECONDS BEFORE THE SUV CRASHED THROUGH FENCING INTO THE K.K. RIVER. IN A NEWS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY , ASSISTANT CHIEF STEVE CABALLERO TOLD ME HE FULLY BACKS HIS OFFICERS’ DECISION. IF YOU HAD KNOWN THAT THERE WAS A CHILD IN THE CAR, WOULD YOU HAVE CONTINUED THE CHASE AND AGAIN, WHAT IS THE POLICY NOW? >> THIS REALLY IS NOT A POLICY QUESTION, POLICY OF PURSUIT. WE WOULD HAVE CHASED THIS CAR REGARDLESS JUST BECAUSE OF THE VIOLENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THESE ROBBERIES. >> POLICE SAY EARLIER IN THE NIGHT, THE SUSPECTS IN THIS CHEVY TRAILBLAZER ROBBED AND HIT ONE PERSON AT GUNPOINT. THEY SAY IN A SECOND ROBBERY, THEY KICKED A VICTIM IN THE HEAD, AND SHOT AT SOMEONE TRYING TO HELP. JUST AFTER 8:30 NEW YEAR’S EVE, SURVEILLANCE VIDEO CAPTURED POLICE CHASING THE SUV DOWN GREENFIELD AVENUE, TOWARD THE K.K. RIVER. POLICE LATER LEARNED THE PEOPLE INSIDE THE SUV WERE 29-YEAR-OLD CHARLES BAREFIELD, PREGNANT 19-YEAR-OLD SHANNON NEHMER, AND HER TWO-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, ANNAMELIA HERNANDEZ. >> WE HAD NO IDEA WHO WAS IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. WOULD SOME OF THOSE, IF WE KNEW SOME OF THOSE ISSUES, OF COURSE, OFFICERS WOULD TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. BUT AGAIN, HERE WE HAVE AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN VIOLENT STREET ROBBERIES. ONE OF THEM SHOTS BEING FIRED. I DON’T KNOW IF IT GETS MORE VIOLENT THAN THAT. JOYCE: CAROLINE, HOW MANY CHASES ARE HAPPENING IN THE CITY? PATRICK: THE NUMBER HAS STEADILY RISEN OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. MILWAUKEE COUNTY, MORE THAN 1200 PURSUITS WERE LOGGED. THEY DID NOT GET BACK TO ME ABOUT THE NUMBERS FOR 2018. POLICE AGAIN TONIGHT REITERATED, THEY ARE GOING TO CHASE AFTER PEOPLE IF THEY FLEE. AND SAY THOSE PEOPLE ARE THE ONES RISKING THEIR OWN LIVES AND OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES ON T

Advertisement Toddler, pregnant woman, man dead after SUV plunges into KK river during police chase Vehicle that plunged into water was used in previous armed robberies, police say Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A toddler, her young mother, who was pregnant, and a man died when their vehicle drove into the frigid Kinnickinnic River on Monday during while being chased by police.The body of 19-year-old Shannon Nehmer was recovered from the vehicle late Monday, family members said. The woman's child, 2-year-old Annamelia Hernandez, and her 29-year-old boyfriend Charles Barefield (pictured) were found in the vehicle when it was pulled from the water on Tuesday afternoon. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Wednesday that Nehmer was pregnant. Authorities said the vehicle went into the water after 8:30 p.m. when an officer spotted a car connected to several armed robberies and attempted to pull the driver over near West Arrow Street and South Compstock Avenue.The driver sped off and police pursued onto West Greenfield Avenue from South 1st Street. Police said surveillance video footage shows the driver speeding on Greenfield before losing control and careening into the KK River. They released the video Wednesday. Milwaukee police confirmed Wednesday they believe the man and woman were involved in two robberies on New Year's Eve. They said there was a second man involved in the robberies, but he was not in the vehicle. He has been taken into custody, police said. Family members who spoke with WISN 12 NEWS said they were worried that Nehmer was living a dangerous lifestyle."I'm surprised to hear what happened, but I knew she was going down the wrong path," said Nehmer's brother-in-law, Ronald Graun. "We tried to straighten her out and helped her out as much as we could." Police officials admit they did not know the 2-year-old was in the SUV before it crashed into the river, but defended the choice to chase while responding to a question from Caroline Reinwald. "If you had known there was a child in the car would you have continued the chase?" Reinwald asked. "This is not a policy question or pursuit. We would have chased this car regardless of just because of the violence associated with these robberies. We had no idea who was in the vehicle. If we knew some of those details, of course we would have taken that into consideration," Milwaukee police Assistant Chief Steve Caballero said. Under the current department policy, Milwaukee police officers can chase vehicles that are linked to violent crimes, drug dealing or reckless driving. Police said two of those three applied to this situation.The Wisconsin State Patrol is investigating that crash.