Police officer injured in New Year’s Eve pursuit; Milwaukee man faces 6 felony charges and 59 years in prison

RACINE — A high-speed chase in Racine early on New Year’s Eve resulted in a broken leg for a city police officer and six felony charges filed against a 50-year-old Milwaukee man.

The most serious of those charges filed against Caprice Barksdale, first-degree reckless injury, carries a maximum possible prison term of 25 years and a $100,000 fine.

Barksdale, who remains in custody in the Racine County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond, also faces three felony bail-jumping charges, along with felony counts of stalking and fleeing/eluding police resulting in great bodily harm.

The remaining five felonies carry a maximum potential prison term of 34 years and a total fine of $65,000.

The criminal complaint: Stalking reported, high-speed chase ensues after police respond

Racine Police responded to a city address on Dec. 31, at 12:41 a.m., where they spoke to a woman, who stated the defendant was sitting in a Cadillac outside her home, and she wanted him to leave.

Several officers arrived to assist, and as two of them began to give lawful commands for the defendant to exit, Barksdale refused and began to roll up his window. Two officers attempted to hold the window open, and at that point, Barksdale allegedly fled at a high rate of speed.

The defendant took a hard right, which threw the officer from the car and onto the sidewalk. That officer later was transported to the hospital for two femur fractures in his right leg that required surgery.

Police later found Barksdale’s vehicle heading eastbound on 12^th Street at a high rate of speed. As an officer got behind the vehicle, the defendant lost control and slid into a utility pole in the 1100 block of South Memorial Drive.

From there, the pursuit continued, eventually heading westbound on 12^th Street at speeds of about 95 mph. Officers eventually lost sight of the vehicle at 16^th Street and Thurston Avenue. Both the Cadillac and the defendant were located in Milwaukee later that day, the complaint states.

An officer spoke with the victim, who stated the defendant came to her residence the previous night, but she wouldn’t answer the door. This happened two more times, and he eventually sat in his car. At this time, the woman said she feared for her safety, so she called police.

Police noted in the criminal complaint several calls of a similar nature to that residence in the past six months. The complaint listed 19 previous calls from May 11, 2023, to New Year’s Eve.

The woman told two investigators that she met the defendant three years ago and the two had a two-year dating relationship, but they had broken up about six months ago. She stated she was afraid to sleep in her own house because he kept returning, and on New Year’s Eve, she felt that he had a firearm with him as well.

Barksdale is due back in Racine County Circuit Court on Jan. 31 for a 9 a.m. status hearing.