Fort Dodge chase suspect found up a tree
Halstead led authorities on vehicle, foot chase; gun recovered
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen William Howard Rockey Halstead, 29, is taken into custody Wednesday afternoon in front of 723 S 19th St. in Fort Dodge after he led police on a vehicle and foot pursuit. Det. Zach Stanley, at left, along with patrol officer Chris Weiland, right, work to get Halstead out from under the tree at left where he was found hiding part way up the trunk.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Fort Dodge Police Officer Chris Weiland, center, along with Detective Zach Stanley, right, arrest William Halstead. Halstead was hiding in this tree.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Webster County Sheriff’s Sgt. Tony Walter, left, along with Fort Dodge Police Officer Chris Weiland, Detective Larry Hedlund and Lt. Matt Wilson, right, look over a revolver recovered near where a suspect in a vehicle chase abandoned a car and took off on foot.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Jacob Naatz, a Fort Dodge police officer walks towards a vehicle that was involved in a Wednesday afternoon chase after the driver, abandoned it in a driveway at the end of South 19th Street north of Butler Elementary School.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Fort Dodge Police Officer Chris Weiland helps look for the a suspect that fled from him during an attempted traffic stop Wednesday afternoon. After abandoning the vehicle, the suspect was found hiding in a tree in front of 723 S. 19th St.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen William Halstead is led to an ambulance Wednesday afternoon by a UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center paramedic and a Fort Dodge firefighter after he was arrested.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen William Howard Rockey Halstead, 29, is taken into custody Wednesday afternoon in front of 723 S 19th St. in Fort Dodge after he led police on a vehicle and foot pursuit. Det. Zach Stanley, at left, along with patrol officer Chris Weiland, right, work to get Halstead out from under the tree at left where he was found hiding part way up the trunk.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Fort Dodge Police Officer Chris Weiland, center, along with Detective Zach Stanley, right, arrest William Halstead. Halstead was hiding in this tree.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Webster County Sheriff’s Sgt. Tony Walter, left, along with Fort Dodge Police Officer Chris Weiland, Detective Larry Hedlund and Lt. Matt Wilson, right, look over a revolver recovered near where a suspect in a vehicle chase abandoned a car and took off on foot.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Jacob Naatz, a Fort Dodge police officer walks towards a vehicle that was involved in a Wednesday afternoon chase after the driver, abandoned it in a driveway at the end of South 19th Street north of Butler Elementary School.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Fort Dodge Police Officer Chris Weiland helps look for the a suspect that fled from him during an attempted traffic stop Wednesday afternoon. After abandoning the vehicle, the suspect was found hiding in a tree in front of 723 S. 19th St.
-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen William Halstead is led to an ambulance Wednesday afternoon by a UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center paramedic and a Fort Dodge firefighter after he was arrested.
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A man was found hiding in a tree Wednesday afternoon after police say he led them on a high-speed chase through the southeast part of Fort Dodge.
William Halstead was arrested taken into custody.
According to the police, an officer was attempting to pull over the man's car, a red Nissan Sentry, because it seemed suspicious. At that point, the man refused to pull over and kept driving throughout Fort Dodge.
At various points, the car was going south on 15th Street, eastbound on Central Avenue, southbound on 20th Street and eventually ending up on South 18th Street from Ninth Avenue South.
After driving around the Butler Elementary School area, the car went down a portion of South 19th Street which is a deadend road.
At that point the man later identified as Halstead abandoned the car before fleeing on foot.
Officers thought he had gone into a home at 723 S. 19th St., and had gathered outside to figure out their plan of what to do next.
That's when they realized the man wasn't in the house, but hiding in a tree in the front yard of the property.
He was quickly taken into custody and then taken by ambulance to UnityPoint Health -- Trinity Regional Medical Center.
When officers went back to where the car was abandoned, they recovered a handgun that had apparently been discarded before the suspect got into the tree.
Information on any charges the suspect may be facing were not available Wednesday.
The Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Sheriff's Department and Fort Dodge Fire Department also responded to the scene.