WHITEFISH — A man is behind bars after fleeing law enforcement in Flathead County on Tuesday evening.
Interim Whitefish Police Chief Bridger Kelch says the incident began at approximately 9 p.m. on Tuesday when deputies from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office attempted to take a wanted subject -- identified as Christopher Lakey -- during a traffic stop on Half Moon Road.
Lakey fled from law enforcement and eventually entered Whitefish on Edgewood Place. He stopped on Wisconsin Avenue and fled on foot after his vehicle was disabled after hitting spike strips. Kelch says a search was then initiated in a nearby residential area.
Lakey was located and taken into custody on Wednesday morning after police received a report of a suspicious person from a residence in the area, according to Kelch. He is now being held in the Flathead County Detention Center pending charges in connection with the incident.
The Whitefish Police Department, the Flathead County Sherriff’s Office, the Montana Highway Patrol, the Northwest Regional SWAT team, and Two Bear Air were all involved in the search for Lakey.
