(KJAM – Madison, SD) Court documents filed in Lake County identify the two men arrested Thursday afternoon after a high speed pursuit with shots fired that started in Minnehaha County and ended in the City of Madison.
40-year-old James Lanpher, Jr. of Sioux Falls and 45-year-old Bonner Juel of Harrisburg are being held in the Lake County Jail on 50-thousand dollars cash bond after their arrest Thursday.
According to a Probable Cause Statement filed with the court by an officer with the state Division of Criminal Investigation, the incident started in Minnehaha County, where the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force had information that Lanpher was believed to be transporting a large amount of methamphetamine from Minnesota to South Dakota. The Task Force requested that the South Dakota Highway Patrol conduct a traffic stop of the Chrysler 300 registered to Lanpher. Court documents state that when the Highway Patrol attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Lanpher’s vehicle, the vehicle did not stop and a pursuit began just before 2:10 Thursday afternoon.
Law enforcement said at several times that the suspect was shooting out of the window at them with a rifle. The vehicle continued to elude and entered Interstate-29 going northbound in the southbound lane. The Chrysler continued on the interstate, taking the Madison exit and then traveling west at a high rate of speed. The suspect drove through Colman and back to Highway 34, where he continued west at a high rate of speed and entered the city of Madison, continuing to shoot at law enforcement.
According to court documents, while in the city, Lanpher attempted to car jack a citizen at gunpoint, but the citizen was able to get away. The vehicle came to a stop at the intersection of Southwest 1st Street and Ramm Heights in Madison. Just before 2:40 Thursday afternoon, law enforcement said that Lanpher ran from his vehicle while shooting at them and they returned fire. He ran through houses in the area, and attempted to gain entry into one of the residences on Ramm Heights, but the homeowner was able to keep him from getting in and he ran away. Court documents indicate the passenger in the vehicle, Bonner Juel, was removed from the vehicle and detained, and Lanpher was taken into custody just after 2:45 Thursday. The documents state that Juel indicated that a blue box and a gun were thrown out of the vehicle in the Colman area.
Both Lanpher and Juel are being charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault against a Law Enforcement Officer, Class Two felonies. Court documents indicate that Lanpher is on parole for aggravated assault on law enforcement and possession of a controlled substance, and that Juel is on probation for a controlled substance.
Lake County Sheriff Tim Walburg said that no one was injured in the incident.
