Beaver Dam Man Sentenced to Six Months in Jail for High Speed Chase

A 22-year-old Beaver Dam man will spend six months in jail for his involvement in a high speed chase related to a “game” in which he and others used clubs to kill wild animals in Dodge and Columbia County. Christopher Swanke pled no contest to three counts of reckless endangering safety and to one count of fleeing an officer. In addition, Swanke will also be on probation for three years. Authorities say he led police and a DNR warden on a 10-minute chase nearing speeds of 85-miles-per-hour while three teenagers were in the bed of his truck. Earlier this month, Swanke pled no contest to 13 citations from the DNR relating to the “coon bashing” game, in which a group of 15 people chased and killed wild animals with homemade weapons. Points were awarded based on the type of animal. Swanke also faces more DNR and traffic citations in Columbia County.