Courts

Runaway prisoner in Crawford County captured in La Crosse, now back in jail

Published

1 year ago

August 2, 2023

A police pursuit of an escaped jail inmate spread out over 60 miles through three counties before the man was captured Wednesday in La Crosse.

Twenty-six-year-old Paul Germundson broke away from police in Prairie du Chien on Tuesday after being taken from jail to a hospital. Germundson reportedly stole a car outside the hospital, and was nearly arrested at his home in Lynxville before getting away a second time. His vehicle was found abandoned in Stoddard.

Early Wednesday, police received a tip that Germundson was at the Motel 6 in north La Crosse. Officers found him there, and captured him after a struggle. Prosecutors say he tried to grab an officer’s gun from its holster, in hopes of making police shoot him.

La Crosse Judge Ramona Gonzalez set bond for Germundson at $10,000 cash. He’s being charged in La Crosse County with resisting arrest and possessing heroin.

Related Topics:crawford county featured jail escapee la crosse jail Paul Germundson police pursuit

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.