Complaint: Man Drove Car Into Police Officer, Who Shot Through Windshield

A 55-year-old Curtiss man will face charges in a May 2 incident where police say he hit an officer with his car and was shot by the officer.

Police got an anonymous tip from someone concerned for the safety of a woman who was staying with Dan W. Willison, according to the newly released criminal complaint. Officers found Willison smoking a cigarette in his PT Cruiser in the parking lot of Abbotsford’s Home Motel.

When police approached him, Willison drove into Colby-Abbotsford Police Officer Kyle Jolin, forcing Jolin onto the hood of the car. He would later tell investigators he was afraid Willison would run him over if he fell.

Jolin shot at Willison through the windshield, then rolled off the vehicle and shot again through the car’s door. One of his shots hit Willison in the chest. The wound was not fatal, and Willison proceeded to lead other police officers on a chase, going more than 100 mph on country roads and on state Highway 29. He eventually stopped and tried to run away in a cornfield, but police caught up with him and arrested him.

Investigators reviewed body camera footage in the incident. The time from when Willison struck Jolin with the car until Jolin was thrown off, the complaint notes, was about four seconds.

Willison’s blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.184, according to the complaint. Willison has four previous convictions for drunken driving, as well as domestic violence and drug charges on his record.

The Marathon County district attorney in a release said that Jolin’s “actions and responses were determined to be justified given the totality of the circumstances” in the incident. Jolin, who was not injured in the incident, will face no charges.

Willison was charged with recklessly endangering safety, drunken driving and multiple other felonies. He is expected to appear in court on Friday.