The work van suspect Howard Boss was driving and Wheatland Constable Bob Haas' squad car sit along the side of Highway 50.
At about 9 a.m., sheriff’s deputies are pursuing a suspect who fled in the area of Highway 50 and Highway B. Scanner traffic suggest deputies believe the suspect is armed.
Officers from Walworth County Sheriff’s Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol are assisting officers.
A photo of suspect Howard Boss supplied by the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department.
UPDATE 9:54 a.M. — Eastbound traffic on Highway 50 being shut down and diverted north on Highway B.
UPDATE 10:10 a.m. — Air one police helicopter responding to scene.
UPDATE 10:35 a.m. — Details from Sheriff David Beth: Deputies are looking for a Howard Boss who fled after being stopped for a traffic violation on Hwy 50 in Wheatland by Wheatland Constable Bob Haas. Boss pointed a gun at Haas and fled. Police are currently tracking Boss in the area south of Hwy 50 and east of Hwy B . Boss is wanted on two outstanding warrants. As of now the search is still active. No homes have been evacuated. Two canine units are participating in the search.
Boss is described as being a male, white, 5 feet 8 inches tall, about 50 years old wearing blue jeans, white t-shirt, black hat and black rimmed glasses. He is from Muskego. The Sheriff’s Department Tactical Squad is on the scene.
UPDATE — Initial canines are resting. Replacements are being brought in. News helicopters are being asked to keep distance so police helicopter can search effectively. Sheriff’s Department making automated calls to area advising residents to be on alert.
UPDATE 12:25 p.m. — Air One police helicopter has been searching scene for about 30 minutes. Police have been searching in woods around mobile home park south of Highway 50 along B and down to the Department of Natural Resources boat launch. Silver Lake officers and Salem Public Safety are also assisting in the search.
The Air One police helicopter circles the area.
UPDATE 1:50 p.m. — Air One helicopter leaving area due to approaching bad weather.
UPDATE 2 p.m. — New information from Sheriff Beth: Suspect still at large. Perimeter of about 4 to 5 miles around target area will be maintained by Kenosha County deputies and state troopers. Other agencies being released. Beth said suspect may still be armed, but he has not shown any tendency to take hostages. “At this point, we don’t believe he’s out there to grab a hostage,” Beth said. “He’s just hiding from us. … We really don’t know where he is.” At one point, officers followed a lead to see if a boater on the Fox River heading toward Burlington might have been the suspect, but the person was a local resident. Below is some video of Beth talking to reporters with additional details:
UPDATE 2:45 p.m. — Eastbound lanes on Highway 50 being opened up again.
UPDATE 4 p.m. — Second round of auto calls being made to area residents advising suspect is still at large, that people should be aware but do not need to stay locked in their homes.
Wheatland Constable Bob Haas and a Kenosha County Sheriff's Department detective discuss the scene while other detectives gather evidence behind a line of trees.
A Racine County Sheriff's Department canine handler gets a bottle of water from Wheatland Constable Bob Haas. At least two waves of police dogs were used to try to track the suspect. At one point, one canine unit felt they were very close to the suspect based on the dog's reactions and fresh tracks but were ultimately unable to locate him, Sheriff David Beth said.
Sheriff David Beth at the command post.
- Detectives carry evidence from the scene of the traffic stop.
Jeff Giometti, whose home is adjacent to the woods where police spent most of the day searching, shares what he experienced:
As far as his description, is he white, black or hispanic?
Boss is described by police as white. — DH
coverage on this single page is better than any other place on the net…
Thank you very much!
Yesterday’s weather would have made use of thermal imaging work pretty darn good. I wonder though, did thermal-loading from municipal sewer plants, stormwater field drain tile discharges, etc. of the Fox River– plus the phytovolitalization from the tree canopy from nutrient-loading in excess of bio-metabolic demand –interferred or not with the heat-signatures given off by the water, plants, structures & suspect?
“Air One fights crime from the sky” (AND) ” …Air One has acquired three 1970s-vintage Army helicopters for its fleet, refurbishing each one at
a cost of $250,000. Additionally, each helicopter is equipped with night-vision technology at a cost of $220,000. “From 2,000 feet, I can see a field mouse,†said Bitton” (a pilot). SEE… http://www.whpd.org/leac/news/2007_11-21_Woodstock_Inde.pdf
Word is he has been captured and its been hush hush because he never had a gun to begin with. Where is the update please?
Video cam footage from squad should be brought into evidence to show EXACTLY what happened. Too many unanswered questions on the part of constable’s version, DESPITE Boss’s record (none of which includes violence). Bring forth the evidence — not personal opinions. Why is there a constable employed in an area patrolled by county/state law enforcement? Where does he draw his salary from — sounds like a waste of taxpayer dollars to me. This entire “hunt” cost taxpayers a hefty bill with no concrete evidence. Don’t have to think too far to remember the evil “weapons of mass destruction” that didn’t exist. Post manhunt — what happened to “innocent, until proven guilty” legal authority? Where’s the video footage?! Media reports say that over 100 law enforcement personnel were brought in on this including: Kenosha, Walworth, Racine Counties, WI state, Silver Lake, and DNR! Never found Boss, was it a cell phone, was it a pistol, why didn’t Boss return fire if he had a gun, why was constable making a traffic stop outside of his jurisdiction! The whole thing smacks of nonsense! Only good that has come is to know that county has ability to notify residents in case of emergency on a wide-spread area alert. Makes me angry.