Police say man becomes suicidal after hit-and-run

A 39-year-old Port Washington man who didn't want to face going to jail for a hit-and-run accident got drunk and contemplated suicide in Wauwatosa last week.

According to Wauwatosa police:

The man was homeless and sleeping in his car, so a friend let him stay at his Wauwatosa home on May 3. He was distraught because he had struck a vehicle and fled, and the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office was looking for him.

Rather than face the legal consequences, he drank heavily and made comments about committing suicide. He told his friends that he planned to pretend to have a gun to get police to shoot him so he could end his life.

The friend reported the man to police and they stopped him as he pulled out of a driveway in the 2500 block of Wauwatosa Avenue at 5:10 p.m. He quickly jumped out of the car with his hands up. He was arrested for drunken driving, second offense, and driving with suspended plates. He was also on probation for resisting arrest.

Officers noticed the broken headlights, dents and paint transfer on his vehicle. But he insisted he had driven into a ditch.

Soon they learned that his vehicle had been involved in a hit-and-run a week prior.

He was taken for a blood test at a Wauwatosa hospital to determine his level of intoxication. He got agitated and yelled profanities in the emergency room.

Later he was evaluated at a mental health center and taken to Milwaukee County Jail.

He is expected to appear in court June 1.