Man Attempted to Take Deputy's Gun After Freeway Crash, Complaint Says

A 27-year-old Whitefish Bay man is accused of grabbing the wheel of his father’s vehicle while his father was driving him to an emergency psychological evaluation at Rogers Memorial, crashing the car on Interstate 94 in Brookfield, according to a criminal complaint.

John A. Herbers was charged Wednesday in Waukesha County Circuit Court with second-degree recklessly endangering safety, attempting to disarm a peace officer and resisting an officer. If convicted, he faces nearly nine years in prison and $45,000 in fines.

According to the complaint:

After crashing the vehicle into a guard rail near Calhoun Road, Herbers was running back and forth in freeway traffic for a short time at 4:20 a.m. March 22. Authorities transported Herbers to Rogers Memorial Hospital.

When they arrived at the Oconomowoc mental health hospital, they learned there was no room at the hospital. A Waukesha County deputy was trying to make other arrangements when Herbers grabbed for the deputy's gun.

The deputies transported Hebers to Waukesha Memorial Hospital where he was resistive and tried to escape. Deputies tasered Herbes five times at the hospital to keep him from resisting officers.

Herbers was released from jail on a signature bond and is ordered to comply with mental commitment orders.