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David J. Burdick

Age : 27

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 06/02/2021

Location : Merrill

City :

County : Lincoln

State : Wisconsin

Agency : Lincoln County Sheriff's Office

Officer(s) :Deputies Dean Dokken, Logan Lange, Ashtin Zunker

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Driver killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON FOR CHASE: Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies pursued David J. Burdick after identifying the vehicle he was driving as a reported stolen vehicle.
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NARRATIVE:
On 06/02/2021, at approximately 5:24 p.m., Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies began actively pursuing a reported stolen vehicle driven by David J. Burdick, 27, in rural Lincoln County. Two sheriff’s patrol vehicles participated in the pursuit. Wisconsin Department of Justice records identified the deputies occupying the two cruisers as Dean Dokken, Logan Lange and Ashtin Zunker. Dokken had approximately one year of service, Lange five years and Zunker three months.
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Deputies continued the pursuit as Burdick traveled westbound at high speed on rural roads. At or near the intersection of County Highway Q and Joe Snow Road, Burdick lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle left the roadway, became airborne and struck a tree. Burdick was ejected and died at the scene. He was the vehicle’s sole occupant.
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The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation conducted an independent investigation of the fatal pursuit with assistance from the Wisconsin State Patrol, Lincoln County Coroner’s Office, Merrill Fire Department, Merrill EMS, Merrill Police Department and DOJ Office of Crime Victim Services.
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The completed investigation identified Deputy Dean Dokken as the deputy actively pursuing Burdick when the fatal crash occurred. Lincoln County District Attorney Galen Bayne-Allison reviewed the DCI investigation and declined criminal charges against Dokken. The prosecutor concluded that the patrol vehicle and Burdick’s vehicle were never in sufficiently close proximity for Dokken’s cruiser to create a collision risk and determined that Dokken did not legally cause Burdick’s death.
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SOURCE LINKS :

https://wausaupilotandreview.com/2021/06/08/identities-released-in-fatal-lincoln-co-chase/
https://wausaupilotandreview.com/2021/11/08/deputy-cleared-in-fatal-crash-investigation/
https://www.wsaw.com/2021/11/08/lincoln-county-da-deputy-did-not-cause-death-suspect-fatal-pursuit/
https://www.wispolitics.com/2021/dept-of-justice-lincoln-county-wis-officer-involved-critical-incident/