A man charged with Felony 2nd Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety following a high-speed pursuit in Washburn County in September 2016 appeared in Washburn County Circuit Court on February 7, 2018, and the Court accepted a proposed Deferred Agreement on his criminal charges. He was also ordered to serve 5 days in county jail.
Maxwell Lee, from Minnesota, was charged in Washburn County Circuit Court after an incident in September 2016, when he drove a motorcycle through the City of Shell Lake, WI at speeds over 100 miles per hour.
DrydenWire.com reported in January 2017, that charges of Class G Felony 2nd Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety and Class I Felony Vehicle Operator Fleeing or Eluding Officer had been filed against Lee. According to online circuit court records, an Amended Criminal Complaint was filed by the Washburn County District Attorney in August 2017. In addition to the original 2 charges, Lee was also charged with 2 counts of Misdemeanor Resisting/Failing to Stop, Misdemeanor Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Misdemeanor Resisting or Obstructing an Officer, and Misdemeanor Disorderly Conduct.
According to the criminal complaint, a Wisconsin State Patrol officer clocked Lee’s motorcycle at 134 miles per hour just south of Shell Lake, WI on State Highway 63. A Shell Lake Police Officer then clocked Lee’s motorcycle still traveling at over 100 miles per hour as it traveled through the City of Shell Lake.
The full investigation into the incident was accomplished with the cooperation and assistance of the Cumberland Police Department, St. Paul, MN Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Shell Lake Police Department.
According to online circuit court records, at his hearing on February 7, 2018, Lee entered pleas of No Contest to all but 1 of his charges; the charge of Felony Vehicle Operator Fleeing or Eluding an Officer was dismissed but read in by the Court.
The Court ordered 3 years of probation for Lee, and the length of his deferred agreement is also 3 years. Lee was also ordered to surrender his motorcycle license and attend a victim impact panel.
Lee is to serve five days in county jail and pay over $5,000 in restitution.
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Court Date Set for High-Speed Police Chase Suspect
Thursday, January 19, 2017 | by Ben Dryden
A St. Paul, MN man is scheduled to appear on February 16, 2017, in Washburn County Circuit Court for felony charges stemming from a high-speed chase that occurred on September 2, 2016.
Maxwell Lee of St. Paul, MN has been charged with 2nd Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, a Class G Felony, and Vehicle Operator Fleeing or Eluding Officer, a Class I Felony.
According to public records obtained and reviewed by DrydenWire.com, a State Patrol officer observed a motorcycle traveling north towards Shell Lake, WI on Highway 63 well above the posted speed limit. The officer clocked the motorcycle at 134 miles per hour (mph) just south of the Shell Lake High School on Highway 63, and the officer activated the squad car's emergency lights.
The driver of the motorcycle initially slowed and appeared to be preparing to stop, however, then the driver looked back at the squad car and instead accelerated on into the City of Shell Lake.
A Shell Lake Police Department officer saw the motorcycle as it came into Shell Lake, and the squad car's radar indicated the motorcycle was traveling at over 100 mph (the posted speed limit in Shell Lake is 25 mph). The Shell Lake Police Department officer saw the motorcycle veer around an individual in a wheelchair attempting to use the crosswalk to cross State Highway 63 in Shell Lake, and the motorcycle continued north on Highway 63 at a high rate of speed toward Spooner, WI with officers in pursuit.
Officers observed the motorcycle at times traveling northbound in the southbound lane and running other vehicles off the road. The pursuit of the motorcycle was suspended.
On September 3, 2016, Shell Lake Police Department received a tip confirming that this same motorcycle had been observed in Cumberland, WI, exhibiting the same dangerous driving behavior. The driver of the motorcycle had stopped at Kwik Trip in Cumberland and used a credit card to purchase gasoline.
The subsequent investigation by the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Shell Lake Police Department revealed that Maxwell C. Lee, of St. Paul, MN was the owner of the credit card used at the Cumberland Kwik Trip and the registered owner of the motorcycle. Upon contacting the St. Paul, MN Police Department, the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Shell Lake Police Department discovered that Lee had reported the motorcycle stolen on September 2, 2016. Lee did not report his credit card or his helmet as being stolen.
A search warrant was obtained and when officers executed the warrant at Lee's St. Paul residence, officers located both Lee's credit card which was used at the Kwik Trip in Cumberland and Lee's blue motorcycle helmet which appeared to match the helmet observed on the driver of the motorcycle.
If convicted of these charges, Lee could face a maximum of 13 years and 6 months in prison.
Pursuant to the direction of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as found in Supreme Court Rule 20:3.6, Trial Publicly, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Last Update: Feb 08, 2018 12:08 pm CST
