KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A chase and standoff in Kaukauna ended with a man’s arrest.
Nine-year-old Jayceon Shaft was sound asleep, at his brother-in-law’s house on Frances Street early Thursday morning.
“I woke at like 3, 4 because I heard sirens, and I saw sirens,” said Shaft.
Police say around 3 a.m., they made contact with the 42-year-old man, who they called “suspicious,” in the 1400 block of Crooks Avenue. They learned there was a warrant for the man’s arrest.
“I was kind of scared but not,” said Shaft.
While officers were talking with the man, he became uncooperative and drove off.
Police were able to use tire deflation devices, and the chase ended with the man’s truck getting caught in the median of Highway CE near Fieldcrest Drive.
“And I seen about 15 to 20 squad cars,” said Taylor Van Den Berg, Shaft’s brother-in-law.
Van Den Berg says they’ve lived in their house off of CE for two years.
He criticized the way police communicated with residents in the area.
“I had a sniper in my backyard underneath my tree, and they didn’t bother to come in and say, ‘Hey, you guys should probably go to your neighbor’s house or leave,’” Van Den Berg said.
FOX 11 reached out to Kaukauana police for comment.
They said they were not doing interviews and not releasing any more information at this time.
The man refused to follow police commands, and with information gathered on the scene, officers believed he was armed and dangerous. The Outagamie County Emergency Response Team was called in to help negotiate.
“What happened? Like, my family’s in my house, my neighbor is next door, and there’s a guy with a gun in a truck,” said Van Den Berg.
Shortly after 10 a.m., the man got out of his truck and tried to run away. Popping sounds, similar to gunshots, could be heard, but police say it was the firing of non-lethal force used to try to stop the man so he could be arrested.
The man’s name was not released.
“Quite unusual, living next to two elementary schools,” said Van Den Berg.
The standoff was near Dr. H.B. Tanner and Electa Quinney Elementary Schools, which are on spring break.
Shaft says he’s happy class wasn’t in session.
“I think we would’ve probably had to stay in our rooms and do a hold. I don’t think we’d have to go on lockdown, unless he was like close to the school.”
The Wisconsin State Patrol and Appleton police also helped. The scene was clear, and roads reopened around 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
