Menomonie man sentenced to probation, jail time for high speed chase that ended in Colfax

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE — A 25-year-old Menomonie man has been sentenced to four years of probation and one year in the county jail for charges related to a high-speed chase last September that ended in Colfax.

William J. Lambie II pleaded guilty to three of the charges and was sentenced by Judge Rod W. Smeltzer in Dunn County Circuit Court January 13.

Lambie pleaded guilty to three felony counts of fleeing an officer, second-degree recklessly endangering safety and felony bail jumping.

Two additional felony counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety were dismissed, along with a misdemeanor count of bail jumping.

Judge Smeltzer also ordered Lambie to participate in the county’s Diversion Court and an alcohol assessment.

Six months of the jail sentence were imposed and stayed, and Judge Smeltzer granted Huber privileges for work or treatment as determined by the Diversion Court.

If Lambie’s probation is revoked for some reason, he will receive 112 days of credit for jail time.

Lambie was arrested on University Avenue in Colfax on Monday, September 23, 2013, 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.

Soon after the Pontiac entered the village limits, Colfax Police Chief Pete Gehring was able to pull the vehicle over after it passed the school district buildings and 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.

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

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.

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

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 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 flew 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.

None of that was true.

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 May of 2013, 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 January 13 court hearing, Lambie was ordered to pay restitution of $1,054 related to another case in which he was charged with two misdemeanor counts of theft and criminal damage to property as the result of an incident that occurred last January.

The two misdemeanor counts also were dismissed January 13 but were read into the record for sentencing.