Some news stories are easy to forget a few days after they happen. Others are so bizarre that they deserve a second look.
If you somehow missed the Wisconsin woman accused of taking a fire department pickup truck, using the vehicle’s radio to ask for food, and telling officers she was supposed to be meeting someone while completely without clothes, consider this your chance to catch up on one of last week’s strangest police stories.
The incident unfolded during the early morning hours of Aug. 4 in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, and quickly generated headlines across the country. While many people likely saw a headline or social media post about the case, the details are arguably even stranger than the summaries.
As reported by WISN, court documents identify the woman as Emily Fair. Authorities say she climbed into a Pleasant Prairie Fire Department pickup truck parked outside Fire Station 3, activated the emergency lights, and drove away.
The Radio Calls Made It Even Stranger
According to court documents cited by WISN, the situation became even more unusual shortly after the pickup left the fire station. Dispatchers began receiving unexpected radio transmissions from the vehicle, including one message in which a woman asked, “I’m hungry. You got food in there?”
Investigators say the voice belonged to Fair, who was allegedly using the pickup truck’s built-in radio while driving around Pleasant Prairie. What began as a vehicle theft investigation was quickly becoming one of the more unusual calls local officers would handle all year.
Court documents also indicate that Fair used the radio to call out for someone named Brennan. The transmissions added another layer of confusion as authorities worked to locate the stolen vehicle and determine who was behind the wheel.
Body-camera footage released by the Pleasant Prairie Police Department and aired by WISN shows officers eventually locating the pickup truck roughly an hour later. At about 1:55 a.m., officers approached the vehicle and instructed Fair, who was seen backing up the truck, to put it in park.
“I’m Supposed to Meet Someone”
After making contact with Fair, officers began asking questions about both the truck and her identity.
“Are you a firefighter?” an officer can be heard asking in the body-camera footage.
“Yeah,” Fair replied.
The officer then asked whether she was supposed to be driving the fire department pickup truck. Once again, Fair answered, “Yeah.”
The encounter took another unexpected turn when officers asked why she was without clothes. According to the footage aired by WISN, Fair responded that she was “supposed to meet someone.”
Authorities also reported another unusual exchange earlier in the incident. According to court documents, Fair allegedly asked an officer, “Are you following me or am I following you?” during one of the encounters involving the stolen pickup.
Dress Found in Truck Bed
Officers later located Fair’s dress in the bed of the pickup truck and allowed her to get dressed before taking her into custody. Patrol-car footage later showed Fair smiling while seated in the back of a squad car.
WISN reported that Fair has been charged with operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. If convicted on that charge, she could face up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The station also reported that Fair is scheduled to undergo a competency hearing on Aug. 26.
Fair is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.