High speed chase ends in Colfax

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX — A 24-year-old man arrested nine times — including once in Colfax — for bail jumping, possession of drugs, theft, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct, carrying a concealed weapon and retail theft has again been arrested in Colfax.

William J. Lambie II was arrested on University Avenue in Colfax on Monday, September 23, after leading sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase around Dunn County west and north of Colfax.

The Colfax Police Department received information that Dunn County Sheriff’s Deputy Travis Mayer was in pursuit of a gray Pontiac for various traffic violations, said Colfax Police Chief Pete Gehring.

Deputy Mayer lost sight of the vehicle but knew the general direction in which it was traveling, he said.

Police Chief Gehring positioned himself and the Colfax squad vehicle near the intersection of state Highways 170 and 40 on the afternoon of Monday, September 23.

The Pontiac in question soon entered the village limits and proceeded east on University Avenue, Police Chief Gehring said.

After pursuing the Pontiac, Police Chief Gehring was able to pull the vehicle over along University Avenue once it was past the Colfax school district buildings.

Four people were in the gray Pontiac, and Police Chief Gehring removed the driver at gunpoint.

In the meantime, a number of squad cars from Dunn County, the West Central Drug Task Force and the Wisconsin State Patrol responded to Colfax.

One of the other squad vehicles laid down traffic spikes in the road, but the gray Pontiac “never got that far,” Police Chief Gehring said.

Two active warrants had been issued for Lambie, who was the driver of the vehicle, he said.

A Dunn County judge issued a bench warrant for Lambie’s arrest on August 27 for failing to show up for a court appearance.

Another bench warrant had been issued that same day, September 23, because Lambie had again failed to show up in Dunn County Circuit Court for a court appearance.

A passenger in the vehicle, 18-year-old Jordan Mary Roberts, also was arrested on outstanding warrants, Police Chief Gehring said.

Two other passengers in vehicle, one of whom was Lambie’s mother, were questioned but were not arrested, he said.

The gray Pontiac was stopped in Colfax around 2:30 p.m.

Because there were eight squad cars all together, a number of law enforcement officers, and people lying face down being handcuffed, Police Chief Gehring said he called the school district office and told them it would be best to route the school buses and traffic leaving the school district property away from University Avenue.

Rumors were flying around Colfax that the high-speed chase had originated in Chippewa County, that it had originated in Eau Claire, and that the suspects had robbed a Kwik Trip in Menomonie, he noted.

None of that was true, Police Chief Gehring said.

Lambie was arrested in Colfax on April 5 during a drug bust and was charged with two felony counts of bail jumping and three misdemeanor counts of bail jumping. He also was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and for being in possession of drug paraphernalia.

Lambie has been arrested other times in Dunn County, beginning in November of 2011, and charged with disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property, retail theft, carrying a concealed weapon, being in possession of drugs, possession of drugs with intent to deliver, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

In many instances, the charges were dismissed on a motion from the Dunn County district attorney’s office, although in May of this year, Lambie was sentenced to 60 days in jail with Huber privileges for possession of methamphetamine and retail theft.

Following his arrest in November of 2011, Lambie was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property. The charges were dismissed in April of 2013 after Lambie had successfully completed a deferred prosecution agreement in which he was sentenced to 30 hours of community service, ordered to get counseling for anger management, and had paid restitution of $250.

Following his arrest during the April 5 drug bust in Colfax, Lambie was arrested a few weeks later for theft of movable property. That charge was dismissed in June.

Lambie was again arrested July 28 and charged with felony bail jumping, misdemeanor bail jumping, and criminal damage to property.

During the September 23 high-speed chase, at one point, Lambie drove into a ditch and damaged the car he was driving, Police Chief Gehring noted.

The license plate on the car did not match the vehicle, he said.

On-line court records show that Lambie has several addresses in Menomonie and one in St. Paul, Minn.

Police Chief Gehring said that at this point, no one seems to be certain which is the correct address for Lambie.

Lambie was scheduled to make an initial appearance in Dunn County Circuit Court September 27.

Judge Rod Smeltzer set a cash bail of $3,000 for Lambie on September 24.