Police said the incident began about 1:45 p.m., when a driver fled a traffic stop and crashed into a tree near 48th and Hadley. The 22-year-old driver then ran, and an officer caught up with him nearby, police said.

During a struggle, the man allegedly tried to take the officer’s firearm. Police said he then removed a magazine from a pouch on the officer’s vest and repeatedly hit the officer with it. Additional officers arrived and arrested the man. Police said they recovered multiple firearms and suspected narcotics from the crashed vehicle.

A 19-year-old passenger also ran from the vehicle and was arrested shortly afterward, police said. The Milwaukee Police Department said the case would be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. No charges in the new incident were listed in the information released Thursday.

A witness who asked not to be identified told local television reporters they heard a struggle and saw the suspect hit and bite an officer. The witness said the officer called for help before police gained control of the man.

Milwaukee Police Association President Alex Ayala called for public condemnation of the attack in a Thursday statement. He also said the suspect’s five-year prison sentence, followed by five years of extended supervision, had been stayed in 2025 by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Joseph Wall, who presides over felony court. Ayala questioned how that decision served public safety.

The association urged elected officials, neighborhood leaders and residents to speak out against violence toward officers. The account of the prior sentence and its stay was presented by the association; details explaining the court’s decision were not included in the information released about the arrest.

The injured officer has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home, police said.