According to a press release issued by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, at approximately 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, Mar. 25, a Lincoln County patrol deputy “located three suspicious vehicles at a storage unit north of Merrill. When the deputy attempted to make contact, the three vehicles fled.”
“The deputy pursued one of the vehicles and advised other responding deputies of the other two. Another deputy located a second vehicle and another pursuit ensued.
Those two vehicles entered the Merrill City limits at high speed, where the Merrill Police Department also provided assistance in the high speed chase. In both cases, “the drivers exited their vehicles and fled on foot,” according to the release.
One of those vehicles was abandoned in an alley off of Prospect St. in Merrill, according to an eye witness, who saw the driver exit that vehicle and flee, with at least two squads/officers in pursuit.
“A 36-year-old Merrill man was located and arrested on charges of Felony Fleeing, two counts of Felony Bail Jumping, and a probation hold,” the release stated.
According to the press release, the two vehicles found in the City limits were held as evidence, and “the third vehicle was later located in a rural area north of Merrill.” A resident north of Merrill confirmed that the third vehicle was found at the end of Maplewood Drive, which is a dead end road. That vehicle is also being held as evidence according to the Sheriff’s Department.
“Two suspects remain at large,” the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.
This is an active investigation. If you have any information pertaining to this investigation or the identity of the two suspects still at large, please contact the Sheriff’s Department at 715.536.6272.
Update: On Mar. 25, the 36-year-old man in custody, Matthew Allen White of Merrill, was charged with one felony count of Fleeing/Eluding Officer, as a repeat offender, and a count of Resisting or Obstructing an Officer, as a repeat offender. Cash bond of $5,000.00 was set on Mar. 26. If convicted, he could be fined up to $10,000 for each of those two counts, get jail time of up to three years, six months for the first charge plus nine months for the second charge, or both. In addition, the Court could impose additional jail time because the defendant is a repeat offender.
Based on the Criminal Complaint filed with the Court, the incident began in the Town of Merrill and proceeded into the Merrill City limits when the officer activated lights and siren of his marked squad car but the vehicles did not stop and instead led the officer “on a protracted pursuit in Lincoln County in which the vehicle drove all over the road on multiple occasions, proceeded by multiple stop signs without stopping, and drove on City of Merrill streets that had a 25 mph speed limit, at speeds around 50 mph.”
When the vehicle ultimately stopped, White fled on foot. The Criminal Complaint further states “a subsequent interview with White indicated that he fled because he was aware he had outstanding arrest warrants and panicked.”
White was also issued three traffic citations, for driving left of center, operate by permittee without parent, and failure to stop at a stop sign. If found guilty of those charges, that will result in additional fines.
As a result of officers’ investigation, a Search Warrant was issued for the defendant’s residence on Mar. 25 while he was in police custody, and .03 grams of methamphetamine and a hot rail tube were discovered in the living room of his residence, which later tested positive for meth. This resulted in White also being charged with Possession of Methamphetamine as a Party to a Crime and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia as a Party to a Crime on Mar. 29. White made an initial appearance on these charges on Mar. 29, and signature bond was set at $2,500.00 with a further condition of absolute sobriety and a restriction that the defendant may not enter any premises licensed for the sale or service of alcohol.
White has a history of similar charges, both open and closed, in Lincoln, Marathon, and Wood Counties dating back to 2003.