WAUSAU, WI (WAOW-WSAU) — A Stratford man is facing charges after he allegedly set his house on fire, then led law enforcement on a high-speed chase that was followed by a standoff.
John Strasser is facing charges of arson, attempting to flee an officer, pointing a firearm at a law enforcement officer, and possessing a firearm while intoxicated. Court documents say that Marathon County Sheriff deputies responded to a call that Strasser set his house on fire.
He then allegedly led deputies on a high-speed chase on State Road 97, deputies lost sight of him due to dust from gravel roads on Ahrens Road. Strasser was spotted again by law enforcement and pursued on State Road 153. As the chase neared Wiesman Road, OnStar could shut down the truck he was in remotely.
A standoff then ensued, the criminal complaint says Strasser pointed a rifle and then a pistol at law enforcement. SWAT teams from the Marshfield Police Department and the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, a crisis negotiation team was able to convince Strasser to get out of his vehicle and surrender.
He was arrested and is currently in the Marathon County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond.
