Dressed in all black, Onalaska man arrested in stabbing, after being chased for letting air out of bus tires

A 56-year-old Onalaska man in in custody, after allegedly stabbing someone in an attempt to get away from people trying to detain him.

James Gallogher ended up being arrested in the median of Highway 16, near the entrance to the Blain’s Farm and Fleet parking lot on Thursday night.

Gallogher, dressed in all black, was running from people who saw him letting air out of tires of buses at the Stoney Creek Inn, according to Onalaska police.

He was on his second bus, apparently headed for a third, when people noticed him, Onalaska Police Chief Charles Ashbeck told WIZM.

Gallogher took off and was chased by two people near a fence. It’s there where Gallogher, allegedly, first attempted to stab someone.

The Onalaska man got over the fence, as did the others, and the chase eventually spilled onto Highway 16, where Gallogher then stabbed a victim, possibly up to seven times.

“They were able to get the knife away from him, detain him until we arrived and we began our investigation,” Ashbeck said.

Police arrested Gallogher out on the median. The victim does not have life-threatening injuries.

The incident happened not long after some rumors about “terrorists” gathering in multiple buses at Stoney Creek, organizing to riot — possibly over divisive comments made by a priest at a north side La Crosse church in a video that’s recently gone viral.

Ashbeck said he heard of some talk of this on WIZM but wasn’t clear on the exact details.

“(Gallogher) did not say what his motivation was but we find it highly suspicious that he picked those two buses,” Ashbeck said.

If that was his motivation, asked where stuff like this stems from, Ashbeck said, “Well, if you want my personal opinion, I think it’s the issue with social media. One citizen puts an assumption out there, and it spreads like wildfire.”

Stoney Creek put out the “terrorist” rumors with an email saying, in part, “These vans are not filled with “protesters” bused to La Crosse to “burn it down” over Fr. (James) Altman’s conservative views. The buses are used to transport contractors back and forth …”

Gallogher is charged with aggravated battery, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct.