Standoff in Saukville ends when big guns arrive

A standoff sparked by a 24-year-old man accused of trying to stab a woman at their Saukville home ended about three hours after it began when the Ozaukee County Special Response Team rolled in with armored vehicles and tactical weapons Monday evening.

The man, who retreated to the basement after what authorities described as a domestic violence incident and initially did not respond to officers’ orders to come out of the house or answer his phone, changed his mind and quickly emerged from the home when he realized members of the Special Response Team wearing body armor and armed with assault rifles had descended upon the home in the 600 block of S. Main Street, Saukville Police Chief Robert Meyer said. 

“He came out and was arrested without incident,” he said. “No one was injured.”

The standoff did, however, force authorities to close a stretch of South Main Street from East Green Bay Avenue south to Cedar Sauk Road for several hours.

At 3:19 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, authorities received a 911 call from the woman, who was able to escape from the house after she said the man, who has not been named pending criminal charges, attempted to stab her.

Meyer said the suspect lived at the house with his father and the woman, who he described as being significantly older than the 24-year-old. The chief said he didn’t know if or how the suspect and woman are related. 

Saukville officers arrived at the house and eventually called in the Special Response Team after the man refused to comply with their commands.

Meyer said a drone that was being flown over his house by authorities may have alerted him to the fact the standoff had escalated to the point of the Special Response Team being called in.

The man was arrested at 6:38 p.m. and taken to the Ozaukee County jail in Port Washington.

Authorities searched the home and found a knife, Meyer said.

Authorities have requested charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, failure to comply with attempts to arrest him and disorderly conduct be filed against the man. 

Ozaukee County District Attorney Benjamin Lindsay said Tuesday he expected to file charges on Wednesday, when the man was scheduled to make his initial court appearance. 

Meyer credited the work of officers at the scene and cooperation between local law enforcement agencies for the peaceful resolution to the standoff.

“A lot of props to all the assisting agencies and our officers on the scene,” he said. “They did an excellent job.

“Law enforcement agencies in Ozaukee County do a lot of work together, a lot of training, and I think the benefit of that really showed in handling this incident.”