A Wisconsin Rapids man has pleaded not guilty to trying to kill a Portage County deputy

STEVENS POINT – A 40-year-old Wisconsin Rapids man pleaded not guilty Monday. trying to kill a Portage County deputy while leading him on a high-speed chase on August 20.

Clinton H. Mayotte is charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempting to flee an officer with a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded not guilty to all three counts during his arraignment Monday before Portage County Circuit Judge Louis Molepske Jr.

Mayotte also pleaded not guilty on Oct. 28 to five counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of fleeing an officer, one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and one count of domestic violence in Wood County regarding the same incident.

According to a Portage County criminal complaint, on the morning of Aug. 20, a Wisconsin Rapids woman reported Mayotte was at her home, trying to break in and acting paranoid. Mayotte got into an argument with a woman in the house and hit her on the forehead with the phone. According to the complaint, Mayotte told the woman to shut her mouth, covered her mouth with his hand and briefly squeezed her. Then he drove off in the woman’s car.

At approximately 1 a.m. on Aug. 20, a Portage County deputy saw a man, later identified as Mayotte, speeding on State 54 between Coolidge and Grant avenues. According to the complaint, the deputy activated his hazard lights and siren and attempted to stop Mayotte.

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Mayotte began to move to the right, then accelerated and entered the left lane, passing the car. According to the complaint, Mayotte did not stop and headed toward Wisconsin Rapids. A deputy saw Mayotte stick something out the window, heard a pop and saw muzzle flashes. The deputy told the dispatcher that Mayotte was shooting at him and backed away from Mayotte’s vehicle and continued to follow Mayotte at a safer distance.

Mayotte continued on State 54 at about 100 mph, according to the complaint. A Portage County deputy chased the Mayotte into Wood County and continued to Wisconsin Rapids at speeds of 100 mph. At least one of Mayotte’s tires caught the stop lane and he slowed to about 70 mph. Several patrol cars of law enforcement agencies joined the chase, the statement said.

According to the complaint, the chase continued through Wisconsin Rapids and shots were fired at patrol cars in Mayotte. He then continued down Eighth Street, and the Mayotte eventually stopped. According to the complaint, Mayotte exited the vehicle, fired at the deputy and fled.

Eventually, police found Mayotte hiding on the roof of a home on South Ninth Street in Wisconsin Rapids. According to the complaint, Mayotte fired his weapon at the officers from the roof.

According to the Wood County complaint, the officer shot and wounded Mayotte. Officers placed Mayotte under arrest and treated him.

Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.

This article originally appeared on the Stevens Point Journal: A Wisconsin Rapids man has pleaded not guilty to trying to kill a deputy