FREDONIA — The suspect in a nearly 40-hour standoff with law enforcement from throughout southeast Wisconsin has been taken into custody.
The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release Saturday that said the person is no longer a threat and was in law enforcement custody as of 11:30 a.m.
“There is no longer a threat to the public,” according to the Sheriff’s Office, which had referred to the man as “extremely dangerous” in previous statements. “The scene is still an active investigation with local road closures. Residents only are allowed back into the area.”
The situation began around 8:30 p.m. Thursday when the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a village of Fredonia resident on Fox Glen Road who heard multiple gunshots throughout the day. Additional calls were received from other residents with similar concerns.
Deputies monitored the area and no gunshots were heard. At approximately 10:30 p.m., the homeowner was reached by phone and acknowledged playing loud music and firing weapons from the residence, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“The suspect stated he was going to continue playing music and if anyone came to his residence, he would shoot them,” the news release said. “Shortly after the phone conversation, deputies on scene heard multiple gunshots coming from the residence.”
Further investigation determined that the suspect was discharging several firearms in unknown directions, including an automatic rifle, posing a significant threat to the safety of the community and law enforcement, the news release said.
Nearby residents were advised to shelter in place, specifically in the basements of their homes, due to the high-powered capabilities of the suspect’s firearms and the weapons’ abilities to penetrate structures.
A law enforcement perimeter was set up and the Ozaukee County Special Response Team was activated and deployed to the scene.
Over the course of several hours, negotiators attempted to engage the suspect and de-escalate the situation. Despite these efforts, the suspect remained uncooperative and made explicit threats toward law enforcement personnel, stating “he’d go full auto” and kill anyone who approached, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“The suspect also provided information indicating he was heavily armed and prepared to use force against officers. On multiple occasions, the suspect was observed aiming a rifle in the direction of law enforcement armored vehicles stationed on scene,” the news release said.
Due to the extended length of the tactical incident, Ozaukee County SRT was temporarily relieved at noon Friday by Washington County SWAT and Milwaukee County SWAT. Negotiations continued throughout the afternoon and into the evening until Ozaukee County SRT took back tactical command of the incident at 7 p.m., according to the news release.
“Our top priority remains the safety of the community, law enforcement personnel and the individual involved,” the Sheriff’s Office said in the statement late Friday night. “We recognize the seriousness of this situation and are proceeding with caution, patience and perseverance.”
