By Jalen Maki
Tomahawk Leader Editor
LINCOLN COUNTY – The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, Nov. 4 identified the man who was involved in a high-speed pursuit in Lincoln County late last month.
A release from the Sheriff’ Office said that at approximately 10:05 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28, a deputy initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle in the Tomahawk area after discovering that the license plates did not match the vehicle, and that the registered owner had a revoked driving status. After the deputy activated his emergency lights to initiate the stop, the driver of the vehicle, identified by the Sheriff’s Office as James J. Gallup, 54, of La Crosse, pulled into Crossroads BP at the intersection of State Hwy. 86 and U.S. Hwy. 51 east of Tomahawk.
The Sheriff’s Office said Gallup falsely identified himself as someone else during the stop.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Gallup sprayed the deputy with “an unknown aerosol substance, believed to either be bear spray or a highly concentrated pepper spray” and fled the scene southbound on U.S. Hwy. 51 at speeds exceeding 95 MPH, pursued by a backup deputy. Three other deputies each deployed tire deflation devices, but Gallup continued to flee at speeds over 70 MPH, despite all four tires being deflated.
The Sheriff’s Office said Gallup turned westbound on Lincoln Dr. and proceeded to the dead end east of County Hwy. JJ in the Town of Merrill, where the vehicle became disabled in the yard of a private residence.
While four pursuing deputies attempted to take Gallup into custody, Gallup sprayed one of the deputies with the aerosol substance, incapacitating him.
“The three remaining deputies were able to take the suspect into custody just as the vehicle he’d been driving started on fire and became fully engulfed in flames,” the Sheriff’s Office stated.
Merrill Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. Local EMS units assisted the incapacitated deputies.
Gallup made his initial appearance in Lincoln County court on Friday, Oct. 29. He faces seven felony charges, including two counts of battery or threat to a law enforcement officer, two counts of intent/use of oleoresin device on an officer, misappropriating identification information to avoid a felony, fleeing, and first degree recklessly endangering safety. Gallup is being held on a $50,000 cash bond.