September 20, 2024 – Ozaukee Co., WI – On Friday, 09-20-24 at approximately 11:43 am, a caller reported a subject from the Town of Grafton threatened to kill him and his family and also shoot up a dental office in the Village of Grafton.
Upon receiving this information, Deputies and Officers responded to the dental office and the reporting party’s residence to ensure their safety. Deputies also began to conduct surveillance on the suspect’s residence to confirm his location and the safety of residents in the immediate area.
It was learned that the suspect was experiencing a mental health crisis and had recently made multiple suicidal and homicidal threats, including murder suicide and suicide by cop. The suspect was known to have access to multiple firearms and was said to be in a hostile state of mind by family and friends.
Contact was made with the suspect’s wife by phone, who confirmed she was at the residence with her husband. She confirmed the decline in her husband’s mental health, his access to weapons, and that he had been making recent threats of harm to others.
The suspect’s wife was able to exit the residence where she was moved to a safe location.
The suspect exited the residence and attempted to leave in his vehicle. The suspect was confronted by Deputies and exited his vehicle. He was confrontational and did not comply with orders given by the Deputies. A use of force incident occurred.
A Taser was deployed on the suspect which was ineffective. Subsequently, a less-lethal impact weapon was used to subdue the suspect who was then taken into custody. Immediate medical care was provided to the suspect by Deputies until medical care was turned over to Grafton Fire Department and Paramedics.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital for medical clearance and will be transported to a mental health unit to address his mental health needs. Criminal charges of Terroristic Threats are pending. The investigation is on-going with the potential for additional charges.
The Ozaukee County Drone Team and Grafton Police Department assisted with the investigation.
There is no longer a threat to the community as the suspect acted alone and is in custody.