Eau Claire man arrested, suspected of OWI after ramming police car

LAKE HALLIE, Wis. (WEAU) - An Eau Claire man is in custody after ramming a police car and fleeing law enforcement Wednesday evening in Lake Hallie, according to the Lake Hallie Police Department.

In a release, the Police Department said 53-year-old James Tyler of Eau Claire was arrested on suspicion of his fourth OWI offense and is being recommended for several other charges after hitting a squad car with his vehicle.

At 6:03 p.m. Wednesday, police officers went to a home on the 2000 block of County Highway OO in Lake Hallie after the residents said there was a man in their home that they didn’t know. As officers arrived to talk to Tyler, who was in his vehicle, Tyler backed his car into the marked squad car, damaging the driver’s side of the vehicle as well as damaging a small fence. The Lake Hallie Police officer drew his weapon and began hitting the back of the car in an attempt to get Tyler to shut the car off, but Tyler drove forward and then backed into the home, knocking a dumpster loose, which then hit the squad car on the rear passenger side. Tyler then drove forward into another fence before driving off on County Highway OO, stopping a short distance away. Tyler was then given a breath test, which showed his blood-alcohol content to be .189, and police placed him under arrest. Tyler was taken to a hospital for a blood draw and then to Chippewa County Jail.

Tyler is being recommended for charges of OWI-4th offense, 2nd-degree recklessly endangering safety, fleeing or eluding law enforcement, two counts of criminal damage to property, trespassing and battery or threat to law enforcement.