A Waukesha man faces 17 criminal counts – including two for attempted first-degree homicide for allegedly firing at Brookfield police – and as a suspect in separate January incidents that involved area drive-by house shootings.
Joseph T. Fliss, 32, remains in custody on a $1.25 million cash bond after charges were filed March 26 in Waukesha County Circuit Court ahead of a March 31 hearing.
In addition to the attempted homicide counts, Fliss faces nine counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, two counts of endangering safety with reckless use of a firearm, and single counts of operating a firearm while intoxicated, operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing injury, operating a vehicle with prohibited alcohol concentration, and hit and run causing injury.
Arrest in Brookfield followed shootout with police
Fliss was arrested Jan. 31 near the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks at North Barker Road in Brookfield after he exchanged gunfire with police that evening following a three-vehicle crash.
The collision occurred about 10:30 p.m. near River Road. A later accident reconstruction investigation revealed that Fliss’ car, a 2014 Honda Accord, may have been traveling as fast as 120 mph shortly before the collision on Barker Road.
According to the criminal complaint, one of the drivers in the crash told Brookfield police that he first went to check on the man, later identified as Fliss, in his vehicle after the crash and noted he appeared to be intoxicated. (A toxicology report later confirmed a BAC of 0.126, authorities said.)
When the driver went to check on the third driver, who was visibly injured, he noticed Fliss walking away from the scene.
Police began a search on foot and were approaching the railroad tracks when three or four shots rang out past them. One of the officers returned fire, striking Fliss in the abdomen. Fliss’ gun was found several feet from where he lay injured.
Evidence connects Fliss to Waukesha drive-by house shootings
While Fliss remained in a hospital for treatment, a follow-up investigation revealed that bullet casings and the vehicle that Fliss had been driving matched those in drive-by shootings in both the city and village of Waukesha on Jan. 24. Flock surveillance cameras and home doorbell cameras had been used to identify the vehicle in those incidents.
Four homes – two on Wyngate Way and one on River Valley Drive near Waukesha West High School in the city, and one nearby in the S5100 block of River Road in the village – sustained damage from multiple gunshots about 8:20 p.m. that evening, though some of the damage was discovered later. The occupants were home in two of the houses at the time, frightening family members.
The Waukesha Police Department and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office initially began investigations into the drive-by shootings. The investigations in Brookfield and Waukesha were tied together, leading to the allegations included in the criminal complaint.
No mention was made of an apparent drive-by shooting of a New Berlin home on Jan. 24. Earlier reports indicated that a shell casing found there matched one found in Brookfield after the exchange of gunfire with police. None of the criminal charges are tied to that incident.
Authorities spoke with Fliss during his hospital stay
The complaint said that detectives from the City of Milwaukee, which is independently investigating the officer-involved shooting, and Waukesha met with Fliss at Froedtert Hospital on Feb. 9, when they obtained statements from him after he waived his right to remain silent.
Authorities said Fliss alternately recalled firing his gun while also claiming he had no memory of the drive-by shootings. He did not answer questions about whether he was targeting the homes or individuals for any reason, according to the complaint.
On the most serious counts, for attempted first-degree intentional homicide, Fliss could face a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison, if convicted. The first-degree recklessly endangering safety counts each carry a maximum penalty of 12½ years in prison.
Floss attended his initial hearing on March 26, according to online court records. The March 31 hearing was set to update his counsel status, including the possible appointment of an attorney from the Wisconsin Public Defenders Office.
Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at james.riccioli@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha man charged in drive-by house shootings and police shootout
Reporting by Jim Riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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