On Monday, November 7, at 7:30 p.m., the Barron County Sheriff’s Department received a call of a suspicious male on a property south of Barron. Deputies from the Sheriff’s Department responded to the area but did not locate any suspect.
While deputies were on scene of the first call, a second call came in reported a suspicious male on another property a few miles away. Deputies were advised there was a small red car in the area. Deputies located where the suspect vehicle had been but it had fled the area. The suspect vehicle appeared to have travelled through a field driveway, into a field and through a fence.
While deputies were following the tracks of the suspect vehicle, Barron County Dispatch received a third call from a residence in the area. The caller advised a small red car pulled in and the driver got out and took the caller’s pickup truck.
Deputies responded to this area and located this stolen truck. Deputies attempted to stop the truck on Hwy 25 south of Barron. This truck failed to stop and a chase ensued for about 20 miles through the Village of Dallas and towards Chetek. The Chetek Police Officer set up tire deflation devices just east of Chetek and successfully punctured all four tires, however the truck continued into the City of Chetek where it stopped near the Keg N’ Kork station. The driver of the stolen truck, exited the truck and attempted to take another vehicle at the pumps but was unsuccessful. The driver then fled on foot into a wooded swampy area.
A perimeter was set up and K-9 and drones were used to locate the suspect hiding in the brush. Derek Aune, 45 of Amery, was taken into custody without further incident. He is being held in the Barron County Jail on charges of Operating a Motor Vehicle with Owners Consent, Felony Fleeing and a warrant from Probation, and he is awaiting formal charges by the Barron County District Attorney’s Office.
The Barron County Sheriff’s Department was assisted by the Barron Police Department and the Chetek Police Department.
