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Joshua Miguel Watson

Age : 29

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 07/18/2026

Location : Chippewa River near Haymarket Landing Stairs

City : Eau Claire

County : Eau Claire

State : Wisconsin

Agency : Eau Claire Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Drowned

Event : Drowned while fleeing police after disturbance call

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

REASON FOR CHASE:
Police pursued Watson after responding to a report of people fighting.
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NARRATIVE:
On 07/18/2026, 29-year-old Joshua Miguel Watson of Eau Claire drowned in the Chippewa River after running from Eau Claire Police Department officers who responded to a disturbance involving people fighting on a sidewalk.
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At approximately 2:30 a.m., Eau Claire police officers responded to the 400 block of Galloway Street after receiving reports of people actively fighting on the sidewalk. Watson ran from the area as police arrived.
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Officers subsequently located Watson in the Chippewa River near the Haymarket Landing Stairs. Police said officers attempted to persuade Watson to return to shore, but he instead moved farther into the river.
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According to the Eau Claire Police Department, officers maintained visual and verbal contact with Watson while he attempted to cross the Chippewa River. Officers watched as Watson began having difficulty in the water and eventually disappeared beneath the surface.
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Emergency personnel searched the river and subsequently recovered Watson's body. Authorities publicly identified him as 29-year-old Joshua Miguel Watson of Eau Claire.
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Watson's obituary gives his full name as Joshua Miguel Watson and his date of birth as 04/06/1997. He was born in Haiti and came to the United States after being adopted at age six. He grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from Eau Claire Memorial High School in 2015.
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Watson was the father of two sons. His obituary describes his children as an important part of his life and says he enjoyed music, basketball, fishing and spending time with family and friends.
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The available evidence indicates Watson entered and continued through the river while attempting to get away from police. There is no publicly reported evidence that he intended to die. His death is therefore classified as Drowned while fleeing police, without assigning suicidal intent.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Eau Claire Police Department has not publicly identified the officers who responded to the Galloway Street disturbance, followed Watson to the Chippewa River or maintained contact with him immediately before he disappeared beneath the water.
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SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.weau.com/2026/07/18/body-recovered-chippewa-river-after-man-flees-police/
https://www.wqow.com/news/top-stories/man-drowns-in-chippewa-river-after-fleeing-from-police/article_6b38b798-d91e-4d61-bec5-c589bdcf28cf.html
https://www.leadertelegram.com/news/front-page/man-drowns-in-chippewa-river-after-fleeing-police/article_6f805656-630b-4a7e-b868-c607129fa907.html