BICYCLE OFFICER INJURED WHILE CHASING CAR THAT SMELLED OF MARIJUANA

Bike Hit Low Manhole Cover, Went Out Of Control; Waukesha Police Ask
City Officials To Investigate Hazard

Waukesha - A car smelling of marijuana that was being chased by a
police officer on a bicycle got away when the bike hit a low manhole
cover and the officer fell, hurting his shoulder.

The incident Wednesday has prompted police to ask city officials to
inspect the manhole cover so that no one else is hurt.

"We'll definitely have to bring that to the city's attention so nobody
else flips over it," said police Sgt. Mike Hokenson. The problem
occurred, he said, because the cover was lower than the road.

"We're going to have the manhole cover looked at. . . . Other people
might get injured," Hokenson said.

Paul Feller, director of public works for the city, said he was not
aware of Wednesday's incident but would investigate.

"I will find out more about it tomorrow and see what happened and what
is going to be done to correct any problem that is there," he said.

Waukesha Police Chief Les Sharrock, who is reviewing the incident, was
out of the office late Thursday and unavailable for comment. Deputy
Chief Wayne Dussault did not return a reporter's phone call.

Officer Ron Oremus was hurt about 10:40 a.m. Wednesday in the 300
block of N. East Ave. while he and fellow Officer Pete Jungbluth, also
on a bike, were chasing the car.

With the driver traveling north on East Ave., Oremus and Jungbluth
used their radios to alert another bicycle officer, Jeff Perlewitz.

Perlewitz was ahead of the other officers on East Ave. and in a better
position to stop the car once it came into his area.

"Ron was northbound with his bicycle, then the front tire dipped down
into the area of the manhole cover," Hokenson said. "The bike went out
from underneath him. He went over the bike, tried to roll into the
fall and hit his left shoulder."

As Perlewitz was about to stop the car, he heard a call he believed to
be "bicycle officers down," Hokenson said. Concerned that Oremus and
Jungbluth had been hit by a car, Perlewitz went to their aid and did
not stop the car, Hokenson said.

Oremus was treated at Waukesha Memorial Hospital and released.
Hokenson said he did not know when Oremus would be able to return to
duty.

Hokenson said it was the first serious injury suffered by a bicycle
officer since the unit's inception in 1997.

Posted by: Allan Wilkinson