Two people are in custody and facing charges after an exciting series of events on Tuesday afternoon in North Platte.
At around 3:43 p.m., the North Platte 911 Center received a call from management at the Walmart Super Center, 1401 South Dewey Street, stating that a male and female were panhandling on their property. Management told dispatchers that they had asked the couple to leave, but they became confrontational.
An officer arrived and made contact with the male subject, 58-year-old Anthony L. Lack.
According to Lieutenant Steve Reeves, Lack was placed under arrest for 2nd-degree criminal trespassing, for disobeying management’s request that they leave, and placed in the back of a patrol car.
The officer then began to deal with the female subject, 40-year-old Anita V. Lack, who was not only refusing to leave the property but was also threatening to harm one of the managers, according to Reeves.
As the officer placed Anita under arrest for 3rd-degree assault and 2nd-degree trespassing, Reeves says Anthony was able to get his hands in front of his body by slipping his feet through the handcuffs, thus allowing him to escape from the patrol vehicle.
Police say Anthony was able to get into his older model Dodge van and flee the area.
With officers in pursuit, Lack traveled west on Leota Street, through the Great Plains Health parking lot, then back eastbound on Leota. Lack then allegedly traveled southbound on Highway 83 before coming to a stop at Halligan Drive.
As officers approached the vehicle, Lack again sped off and headed west on South River Road, then south on Buffalo Bill Avenue, reaching speeds of 60-70 mph.
According to Reeves, an officer deployed a spike strip at Buffalo Bill and Walker Road and was able to flatten at least one of the van’s tires.
Police continued to pursue Lack to the intersection of State Farm Road and Buffalo Bill, where the vehicle became disabled.
Officers were able to take Lack into custody and, once again, detain him.
In addition to the original charges, Anthony Lack was also charged with willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest and resisting arrest. Reeves says a criminal history check of Anthony may result in some of the charges being enhanced to felonies.
The North Platte Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office were all involved in the pursuit.