MILWAUKEE — Shorewood police released their report after a suspect drove off with one of their unlocked squad cars on May 30.
According to the police report released to TMJ4 News, the suspect identified as Daniel Barton got into the marked Shorewood Police Ford Explorer and drove it 'several' blocks, near the Capitol Drive bridge connecting the city with Shorewood.
WATCH | Edited video from police shows the officers reacting as they watch someone drive off with one of their squad cars.
One of the Shorewood Police officers said over the radio that he believed someone had stolen his unoccupied squad car and that the vehicle was heading westbound on Capitol.
The officers noticed the squad car being driven away as they were arresting someone entirely different for a traffic violation.
A witness told officers that a white tall man with long hair, who "looked like Jesus," then got out of the vehicle and ran southbound on Holton, possibly around the U-Haul building on Capitol.
Milwaukee Police officers eventually took the suspect into custody outside the Planet Fitness building. In the moments before the man got out of the vehicle, however, Shorewood and Milwaukee police mobilized a number of squad cars to find the suspect in the stolen squad, due to the "severity of the situation."
During an interview, Barton admitted to investigators he took the squad car, pulled it over at a red light, got out, and then ran, according to the police report.
Police say they remembered a person matching the previous "Jesus" description, who had been pan-handling with a sign in the median of the intersection of Capitol and Wilson throughout the day. That's about a block away from where the squad was stolen.
According to online court records, 34-year-old Barton was charged with misdemeanor driving or operating without consent - abandoning vehicle.
Barton is the same man who stole a Milwaukee police squad in December 2022, according to court records.
There were no injuries reported in the incident.
According to a criminal complaint released Monday, during the interview with police, the suspect said he had been professionally diagnosed with extreme schizophrenia and paranoia. He said he is homeless and panhandles for money. He said he was panhandling when he "felt the urge to drive" and entered the marked squad car and drove until he got to a red light, pulled over, and ran away.
Barton's December 2022 arrest for stealing a squad car
Court records show Barton was charged with a misdemeanor last December for taking, driving, and abandoning a Milwaukee Police car without consent.
According to a criminal complaint, he stole it near Holton and Keefe and later abandoned it near Richards and Burleigh.
The complaint states that, through squad cam video, you can hear Barton giggling as he drives the car away.
Police said, with the help of a citizen, they were able to find him hiding in a garbage can and then arrested him.
Court documents show a judge in January ordered a doctor's evaluation to see if Barton could stand trial. But because of a calendar error, the evaluation was delayed and the defense said Barton could no longer be held legally while he waited, according to records.
Barton, the record shows, was released without bail and then missed an outpatient evaluation and a court date. He was then sought on a warrant, which was waived in May after the Sheriff's Office notified him of a July court appearance.
Ahead of that July hearing, he stole the Shorewood Police squad car, according to records.
What's next for Barton
Following his arrest last week, the court record shows Barton was released on a $500 signature bond and placed under the supervision of Justice Point. Under supervision level 3, a person is required to attend two appointments a month, one in person and the other over the phone, according to Justice Point.
Justice Point said they also give court appearance reminders.
Barton is next due in court on July 5.
If convicted, he faces a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or nine months for each of the two misdemeanors.
Under the terms of his release, he's not allowed to operate a vehicle.
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