36-year-old man arrested after high-speed chase from Columbus to Leeds

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated May 21, 2022

COLUMBUS, Wis. (WMTV) – A 36-year-old man is behind bars after a high-speed chase reaching up to 100 mph on Tuesday night.

The Columbus Police Department said officers were dispatched to a local business after reports of a man acting strangely in the parking lot carrying a long gun just after 10 p.m.

When officers arrived, they say the man, later identified as Andy J. Gerow of Beaver Dam, left. Gerow traveled west from Columbus on STH 60, driving as fast as 100 mph.

Officers were able to arrest him after approximately 12 miles in Leeds Township using tire deflation devices.

During the high-speed chase, officers say they saw Gerow throw a gun out of his vehicle. Police eventually recovered it and said it was an AR15 style rifle. They add that there was a cartridge in the chamber and two loaded magazines.

Gerow was sentenced to Columbia Co. Jail for disorderly conduct while armed, evading an officer, and possession of THC-second offense.

The Wisconsin State Patrol, Fall River Police Department, and Brown’s Towing participated in the incident.

clarification: In an updated news release, the Columbus Police Department clarified that the suspect was from Beaver Dam, not Beaver, as the previous statement stated.