By Shereen Siewert
UPDATED: A 34-year-old man who led police on a chase through two counties that ended after a three-hour standoff has been identified as Starr Beson, of Wausau.
The incident began when police tried to pull Beson’s vehicle over at about 2:45 a.m. Saturday on Hwy. 51 in Rib Mountain for a speeding violation, according to the incident report. A K-9 sniff of the vehicle suggested drugs were present, prompting the deputy to ask Beson, who initially gave officers the first name of Robert, to step out of the vehicle.
Instead of complying, police say, Beson fled, leading police on a chase through Marathon and Lincoln Counties for more than 30 miles. After avoiding several sets of tire deflation devices and allegedly throwing a bag of drugs out the window, Beson stopped on Hwy. A near Villa Road, east of Tomahawk and put a knife to his own throat, according to court filings.
A standoff ensued and lasted more than three hours. Beson was taken into custody at about 6:45 a.m. Saturday. No one, including a passenger in Beson’s vehicle, was injured.
Beson now faces charges of fleeing an officer, possession of methamphetamine, resisting or obstructing an officer and bail jumping.
Court records show Beson was wanted after allegedly absconding in connection with a 2018 case involving child enticement and child pornography charges. In January, Beson was convicted of those charges but never showed up for a sentencing hearing, court records show. A warrant was issued in September.
During an initial appearance Monday on his latest charges, Starr was ordered held on a $50,000 cash bond. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 30.
See the original story, below.
An Wausau man armed with a knife who led police in a chase early Saturday on Hwy. 51 is in custody after an hour-long standoff, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.
Marathon County deputies just before 3 a.m. Saturday alerted Lincoln County officials they were pursuing a vehicle northbound on Hwy. 51. Deputies from Lincoln County joined the pursuit, which continued north into the Tomahawk area, police said.
After avoiding several sets of tire deflation devices, the suspect eventually stopped on Hwy. A near Villa Road east of Tomahawk, but refused to surrender or comply with demands, according to a Lincoln County report. Crisis negotiators were called in and worked for more than an hour to resolve the standoff.
Members of the Lincoln County Special Response Team arrived at the scene and used a chemical tool that allowed deputies to pull the man from the vehicle, police said.
The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was wanted on charges of child enticement and possession of child pornography, along with violating the terms of his probation. He was turned over to Marathon County deputies after his arrest.
This story will be updated after a criminal complaint is filed.
